Ni No Kuni: The Heart of Doubt
by Frappichi
Summary: Teenage Alexa feels that she barely knows her father. She is old enough to know that the bedtime stories of his childhood adventures in "another world" are fictitious, and wants to know the truth, even when he insists that he never lied to her. When her father mysteriously vanishes one morning, Alexa embarks on a quest for answers. A Ni No Kuni sequel.
1. Future

_A daughter's love is clearly strained,_

_But must be put aside_

_Cast the symbol with the stick_

_And hold on for the ride._

_You'll wander trees and cities_

_You'll trek from coast to coast_

_You'll learn that love is never weak_

_Then face what you fear most._

She had to do this.

Everything she had been through, all the laughter and all the tears, led up to this single moment.

This world, her father, and her life was at stake. There was just one challenge left. One more obstacle. She was so close…

But she knew it would be the worst. Worse than all the monsters she'd fought. Worse than all the times she was nearly captured. Even worse than the Palace of Memory.

She clutched her wand so tightly she thought it might snap.

She had her friends and familiars with her, all there to support and protect her. It would be ok.

But nothing could prepare her for what lay inside.

When she opened the door, she knew immediately what she had to do. She bit her lip harshly so harshly it bled, in an attempt to stave off the wave of tears that rushed to her eyes. She'd been toughened up by so many adventures, but the revelation made her feel little and weak. She had somehow knew it was coming, but there was nothing she could do to make the task any easier. And only one thought pulsed through her head.

_I can't do this._


	2. Prologue-Heart of Belief

Greetings, prospective readers! I'm a bit surprised by the lack of Ni No Kuni fanfiction on here, but perhaps not enough people know about it/they haven't finished playing it yet. This multi-chap creating writing piece is my idea of what a direct sequel to the game would be like. It combines Ni No Kuni with elements of Tim Burton's "Big Fish". It deals with themes of doubt/disbelief, confronting memory, confronting fear, and the bond between a father and a daughter. There will also be a bit of romance, but no OCs will be completely random (they are all somehow related to real characters from the game).

Disclaimer: I do not own Ni No Kuni or any of the characters referenced.

...

Every night, little Alexa would request a story from her father.

"Daddy, tell me the story about when you met the cat king!"

"Daddy, what about the time you and your friends got turned into frogs?"

"I wanna hear about the city where everyone was dressed up as pigs!"

Her father told the best stories, of course. His imagination was unmatched. They were the stories of his travels when he was just a bit older than her, in a magical world connected to her own. Every night Alexa got to revisit this world her father once lived in through his stories. His eyes would take on a playful shine as he told her all about his friends Esther and Swaine and the crazy adventures they three of them went on together. It was a nightly routine for them, a bonding activity between father and daughter.

"Mommy?" Alexa would occasionally ask her mother the following morning, "is daddy from another world?" The blonde woman would always turn to her daughter with a smile.

"It sure seems that way sometimes, huh?" she would reply, giving her daughter a wink. Alexa would pout, wanting a straight answer. But her enigmatic response always left Alexa's own imagination busy at work, picturing what the world could possibly be like.

"Maybe I'll take you sometime," her father once told her after a story. "I'm sure Esther and Swaine would love to meet you. But we'll have to wait until you're a little older."

"Aww!" she whined, clutching the stuffed toy her father had given her for her birthday close. "Mr. Drippy thinks I'm old enough!"

"I've always questioned Mr. Drippy's judgement," her father laughed.

"Could you do his voice again?" she asked shyly, with a little grin.

"Hm? Oh, of course!" He took the doll from her, clearing his throat and speaking in his best Welsh accent. "Crikey, it's late! Go on then, Lexi-girl, it's time for bed, en' it? Tomorrow we'll have a proper massive breakfast and then go on to see ol' uncle Philip and his new car after, sounds tidy?" Alexa giggled and nodded.

"Sounds tidy, Mr. Drippy!"

Her father smiled, handing the doll back to her and tucking her into bed.

"Alright, sweetheart, I'm going to turn off the lights now. Have sweet dreams, ok? Think about the story I told you, about Teeheeti, with all the other fairies."

"Kay. Night, daddy," she managed through a yawn. He kissed her forehead and shut off the light by her bed.

"Good night, Alexa."


	3. A Doubtful Daughter (Heart of Distrust)

AN: Alright, here's the first chapter. This one's on the shorter side (around 3000 words) but they will get progressively longer as I go along. So far I'm having a great time planning and writing it, so hopefully readers are enjoying it, too! I have a basic plot outline in place, and I'm looking at around 30-40 chapters (subject to change).

I've written teenage Alexa to stay true to the era she lives in, with an occasional 60s-70s slang word here and there. Post-50s teens tended to be more rebellious than the previous generation was used to, hence why right off the bat she is at odds with her father. Oh, and a quick note: The cloaked figure in the beginning is supposed to talk unusually. It is the dialect of the world he is from (they do not use "you" initially and will refer to people as though they are not there unless the person has earned their highest respect).

...

"Hmph. So this is the infamous 'savior' their world speaks so highly of," a deep, husky voice muttered as he stared at the image projected in the mirror of black glass. The source of the voice turned to face his three captives. He was wrapped in a leather cloak that covered his face and upper body, but his furry hind legs and grizzly black tail revealed that he was far from human. "And they all believe this young man will be the one to halt the new order we plan to instill here?"

"I wouldn't doubt it for a minute," one of the captives replied, wincing as the guard holding him tightened his grip. His long hair was knotted and messy, the delicate fibers of his clothes torn as though he'd been through a violent scuffle. The three captives were under the effects of a paralytic spell, barely able to move their limbs.

"Yes. The Pure-Hearted One has saved our world before, and he will save it again," the female prisoner muttered through gritted teeth.

" 'Pure-Hearted One' she says. The name is intriguing. But those fools have forgotten a key detail." Their captor lowered his voice to a menacing growl. "We do not come from their world. We are not obliged to abide by their laws." He turned back to the mirror, sweeping his tail across the stone floor. "Still, this 'savior' is of interest. Go on then, intimidate us. What great feats has he accomplished?"

"He defeated the Dark Djinn, he can cure the brokenhearted, and his soul is immortal," the long haired prisoner managed. "You intruders should be very worried if he decides to return here anytime soon."

"He certainly sounds powerful," the figure mused. "Useful, even. Like that little flea we caught sneaking around the outskirts of Morriban."

"What have you done to my daughter?!" The oldest prisoner demanded, his withered eyes glowing with fury.

"The noble sage should calm himself," the figure replied, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "His daughter is perfectly safe. She was trying to free the prisoners in Morriban, bless her ignorant heart. But fear not, we did not harm her. Rest assured we have put her to good use." The figure leaned in, close enough that the captives could catch the faint outline of a muzzle and teeth, drooling droplets of black saliva. "But what fates shall we sow for this lot? The possibilities are endless."

"Oliver will stop you," the female prisoner mumbled.

"Oliver? That is the man's name?" He hummed thoughtfully, turning to the mirror once more. "Good to know. Truthfully, we were humoring the captives about our concern over the savior defeating us. We believe this man can help in our new order. We do not see him as a threat, we see him as a tool. Perhaps even a leader."

"Oliver would _never_ join forces with you!"

"Willingly, we suppose. But we must consult the others on this topic further." He turned back to his captives.

"As for these magic-users. This world also holds them in high esteem, and yet they reek of mortality. We believe we can make a special place for them in our citadel." He walked over to where a long, polished metal rod lay against the mirror. It ended in the head of a two-headed dog.

"This little gem was forged in their very own industry capital," the figure sighed, stroking it affectionately with a paw. "Perhaps they should lock the door to this world if they do not wish for intruders to take interest in it."

"Why our world?" the long-haired captive asked weakly. "Why did you come here?" The figure snorted.

"' 'Why our world' he asks. Why not his world? There is a manufacturing capitol, plentiful resources, open seas, rich soil, and lands crawling with excess manna for harvest. We are surprised they have not been invaded before." He flexed his claws against the rod.

"Now, let us finish them before they can pry further. Bring them forward." The guards threw the three sages to the ground roughly. Lifting the rod above his head, the figure began mumbling words in a foreign language.

"Marcassin, do you truly believe Oliver will return for us?" the female sage whispered hoarsely.

"He must, Khulan. I know he hasn't visited for some time, but surely when he realizes his friends are in danger he will come to our aid."

"I do hope so. I have lost my daughter once again, and yet once again I find myself powerless." the third sage muttered.

"Don't worry, Rashaad. Oliver will come back for her, and all of us. I'm sure of it." Khulan reassured, but her words were as hollow as a Little Bighorn's arms. A loud crack drew their attention to their captor. Within the mouths of the dog-headed spear, sparkling balls of light formed. Wordlessly, the cloaked figure lowered the rod to the level of his captives.

A silver beam of light shot into the three sages, turning their already paralyzed limbs completely stiff. Glittering light raced up their arms, leaving a golden-luster in its place. When the magic stopped, the figure set the rod to his side. In front of him, three bronze statues fell to the floor with a metallic clank.

"Would you like us to take them to the citadel gardens, Master Garmr?"one of the guards asked.

"That would be ideal. But first, there is one final task that must be achieved before we officially declare our rule," he told his guards. "Bring us the Pure-Hearted One."

"So, how was school today, Alexa?" Oliver asked his daughter, breaking the awkward silence of the dinner table. The girl sitting across from her parents didn't bother looking up at him, wisps of unruly black hair covering her eyes.

"Stupid," Alexa muttered, stirring the food on her plate around with her fork. Oliver exchanged a glance with his wife.

"Sweetie, what's wrong with school?" Myrtle asked her gently after a moment. "You have your friends there, and all your teachers seem to like having you in their class."

"The workload's completely _bogue_, the food's a cut below dog slobber, and Kaden seems to think it's really fun to hit me with spitballs in Math." Her parents winced at her word choice. "Oh, and everyone also thinks dad's nuts, thanks to his elaborate stories," she mumbled.

"Who says that?" Myrtle asked, noting her husband's glance downward.

"All the kids in my grade. They taunt me for it. And sometimes my teachers give me this sympathetic smile or a pat on the back, like I'm an elementary schooler or something." She smoothed her bangs behind her ear with her free hand, staring at her father with steely blue eyes.

"Alexa," Oliver started, "You understand why they say stuff like that, right? It's because they can't see the others. They can't see people from the other world, even if they wanted to."

"Mom, he's doing it again," Alexa complained, shooting a glance to her mother.

"Sweetheart…" her mother started, but her father stopped her.

"Don't you remember the stories, Alexa? I told you that whenever I brought people from the other world back to Motorville, no one could see them." Alexa dropped her fork with a loud clank. She started at her father incredulously, her eyes defiant.

"Dad, I'm _fourteen_," she began, trying to keep her voice steady. "I know about Santa, I know about the Tooth Fairy, I know that magic is a childhood fantasy. And yet you keep insisting with your phony baby stories."

"But you used to love them when you were little," Oliver murmured sadly.

"Yes, because I was a _kid_. Now I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop embarrassing me in front of my friends and teachers with your fairytales." She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. "I want to know about what your childhood was really like. Weren't you racing cars with Phillip or something? And what about when you first met mom?"

"I thought I told you that one," Oliver started, his eyes taking on a playful glow as he grinned to his wife. "I remember it so clearly. Your mother took her first step outside in days, and her incredible courage helped heal her soul mate in the other world, and-"

"Oh my god, _stop_," Alexa groaned, clenching fistfuls of her hair in her fingers.

"Stop what?" Oliver snapped out of his dreamy daze and looked to his daughter.

"Stop lying!" She stood up, struggling to control her anger. "I can't go a _day_ without hearing about your imaginary friends. Everyone knows about it. Kids laugh at me at school for it. I don't feel like I know my _own _father because of it. And you know what dad? I really don't care anymore." She began to tremble, loosing her fleeting control over her temper.

"Sweetheart, please calm down…" Mrytle pleaded, but Alexa ignored her.

"Go ahead, lie to me all you want. I don't care about your times with Mr. Drippy. I don't care about how you met the stupid old cat king. Hell, I don't care about the entire world you invented as a _twisted_ way of coping with grandma's death!"

"Alexa!" Myrtle gasped, but the teen dashed out of the kitchen before Oliver could even respond. She ran up to her room, slamming the door shut and locking it. She collapsed on her bed, pretending she didn't notice the sting in her eyes.

"He deserved all of those words for lying to me," she assured herself. She rolled over onto her stomach, meeting the gaze of her childhood doll, Mr. Drippy.

"What are _you _looking at?" she asked it coldly. It stared back at her with a blank expression. She sighed.

"Ugh, I wish he wasn't my dad." She pushed herself off the bed, grabbing her cd player and slipping on her headphones. She'd seen plenty of normal dads at her school. Even grandma Betty and grandpa Rusty were pretty ordinary. With her luck, her dad just so happened to be on the crazy side. Maybe he had some type of mental disorder. She couldn't think of any other reason for him to be so insistent about the authenticity of his stories...Or maybe he just didn't want her to grow up.

_"Well, that's too bad. I'm not a kid anymore,"_ a voice in her head told her bitterly. _"And compulsive lying does not earn my apology." _If her dad wasn't going to be honest with her, she wasn't going to keep asking for the truth. And she definitely wasn't going to apologize for her cruel words. She got settled and turned up her music, hoping the sound would drown out any remaining thoughts of protest.

…

A low rumble of thunder awoke Alexa the following morning. She groaned, wishing she'd remembered to close her window. It was Saturday morning, and Alexa had intended to sleep past noon. Stifling a yawn, she threw off her covers and went to close her window. The bright sunlight outside nearly blinded her.

"Huh…?" she muttered groggily, squinting at the pale blue sky. "I thought I heard thunder..." She closed her window anyway, surprised by how quiet the house was for being so late in the morning. She unlocked and opened her bedroom door, the creak of hinges being the only noise in the dead silent hallway. The door to her parent's bedroom was already open, so she assumed they were already awake. She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to proceed and face her father. But the hollow feeling in her stomach motivated her to at least get something for breakfast. Pushing her fear aside, she slowly crept down the stairs and into the kitchen. She felt a blend of relief and confusion when she noticed it was completely empty, with only a note propped up on the table beside a plate of toast and two glasses of orange juice. Alexa picked up the note and skimmed it:

_Good morning, sweetie._

_I had to go to Ms. Leila's Milk Bar to grab a few things. I left breakfast out for you and dad. I hope you're feeling better. Maybe we can all talk about this later today._

_Love, Mom_

Alexa stared in puzzlement, first at the note and then at the food on the table. The plate was untouched, and the two glasses of orange juice were filled to the brim. Her dad didn't work on Saturdays, so he should still be here.

_"Maybe he went to Uncle Phillip's?"_ Alexa considered, nibbling thoughtfully on a piece of buttered toast. She had a few more pieces and finished the glass of orange juice. The silence of the house had gone from calming to eerie, and once she finished her breakfast she quickly sped back up the stairs to her room. She went over to her window again to check the weather, doing a double-take when she noticed her father's car was still here. Uncle Phil lived outside of Motorville, and walking to his place would take at least an hour.

"_Was he still asleep?"_ She snuck back into the hall and peaked into her parent's bedroom.

"Dad?" she asked quietly, before blinking in surprise. "Huh?"

On her father's bed was another note, accompanied by a stick. Alexa went over and examined the stick first. It was unusually smooth, and covered in strange markings. She picked up the note. Unlike her mother's note, the off-white paper was so old and decrepit Alexa worried it might crumble if she held it too tightly. She squinted, noticing more unusual designs written on it, but there was what appeared to be a translation right below:

_A daughter's love is clearly strained,_

_But must be put aside_

_Cast the symbol with the stick_

_And hold on for the ride._

_You'll wander trees and cities_

_You'll trek from coast to coast_

_You'll learn that love is never weak_

_Then face what you fear most._

_"What is that suppose to mean?"_ She wouldn't put it past her father to be write angst-y poetry, but something about this particular message made her shiver. It also was not written in her dad's handwriting. Directly beneath the words was a strange symbol. She examined the stick, than the message, than the symbol again.

"Cast the symbol with the stick…" she echoed. Did the note meet the stick she was holding?

"No way. That's just stupid," she told herself. But her innate curiosity wanted to test it out. There was no harm in trying, right? She glanced around, making sure no one could see what she was about to do. Then she stared at the message, tracing the shape of the symbol with her stick carefully, and waited for a moment. Nothing happened.

_"See?"_ she scoffed to herself. _"This is just another one of dad's weird poems. Completely phon-"_ Her words were cut off abruptly as the floor beneath her began to tremble. She glanced down to see the floorboards vanish into a glowing blue light. All around her, the bed, dresser, and desk of her parents' room vanished. She dropped the stick in shock, eyes wide.

_"Huh?!" _she managed to gasp aloud, before the floor completely collapsed beneath her and she was swallowed into the luminescence below.


	4. The Another World (Heart of Mercy)

So I need opinions on something. I have a poll up on my author page about chapter length & update times. Basically, I can do longer chapters (4000+ words) for a longer wait, or shorter chapters for a shorter wait. If you have an account, please go vote on which you would prefer!

Anyways, here's chapter 3! Reviews are always apurrciated (and thank you to those that already have reviewed/faved and followed! Honestly, just knowing _one_ reader wants to embark on this "story adventure" makes me really happy ^^ Such are the joys of storytelling!)

...

"Ugh…" When Alexa awoke, she was lying on a cold, stone floor. She groggily lifted her head, blurrily making out a set of bars in front of her. _"A prison cell…?" _She jolted up, pushing herself off the floor. The memories of home came rushing back; her dad being gone, the note, and the symbol she drew with the stick that destroyed the floor.

"Was that illegal or something?" she mumbled, standing up on shaking feet and walking over to the bars. She didn't initially notice that her captivity wasn't in a normal prison cell. She looked to the side, giving a loud gasp when she noticed a burly figure standing next to the bars. A huge cloak covered his broad shoulders, and where his feet should have been were a set of hooves and a long, whip-like tail.

"E-excuse me, sir?" Alexa managed, trying to ignore her terror. The guard turned his head slightly, and Alexa bit her tongue to avoid screaming when she saw he had the head of a bull.

"What does she want?" he asked in a husky voice. Alexa shrunk back from the bars, trembling.

"W-where am I?" she whimpered, half to herself.

"That does not concern her. She was caught using magic; that is all she needs to know. Her punishment will be determined accordingly," the bull informed her.

"Who? Who was caught?" Alexa asked desperately. The bull gave a snort of laughter. "_She_ was. Is it not obvious to her?" Alexa shuddered as the bull stared directly at her, looking darkly amused. She backed up further in her cell.

_Oh god, wake up Alexa…please wake up…_ she kept thinking to herself, convinced she was trapped in some sort of deranged nightmare. _"This is just a bad dream…a bad dream from hearing all of dad's phony stories…" _Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud clop of hooves as the guard walked by the bars of her cell and vanished down the dark hallway. Without his labored breathing, the prison became eerily silent. Alexa curled up in a ball, praying that she'd wake up in the warm, safe bed of her home any moment.

"_Pst!"_ The sound brought her back to her situation at hand. She looked around for the source of the voice, but she didn't see anyone.

She waited for a moment.

"_Hey! Pst!"_ the voice whispered again. Then, she felt something sharp hit her knee.

"Ow…" she muttered, looking down at a pebble before staring across at its source. She made out a cell across from hers, where a boy was held captive. He was human as far as she could tell, looking a few years older than her, but he was dressed in unusual clothing that she could barely make out. She did notice a gleaming silver sword hanging from a belt around his waist.

"Sorry," he whispered with a grin, holding up the straw with which he had shot the pebble from. "I wasn't sure how else to draw attention over here. Anyway, bull-face is gone now."

"D-do you talk like that, too?" Alexa asked hesitantly. She heard him chuckle.

"Are you kidding? No one from this world talks like that…well, I suppose the royals speak kinda weird, but definitely not like that." She stared at the ground, feeling stupid for asking. He approached the bars of his cell, peering at her curiously. "I heard those idiots talking about you earlier…so you're not from this world either, huh?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"You cast Gateway to get here, didn't you?" His voice took on a playful tone. "And with clothes like that, I'd _hope_ you weren't from this world!" Alexa glanced down at her pale blue shirt and striped pajama bottoms, realizing she'd forgotten to change into day wear before looking for her dad.

"Well, you're one to talk!" she whispered coldly. Her response only earned more laughter. He stopped, however, when the clopping sound returned.

"Here, take this." The boy slid a smooth, polished stone through the bars holding him captive to Alexa. She caught it, noticing an identical symbol to the one she'd cast etched on its surface. "When they take you to meet Orphus, use it. Oh, and be sure to cover your head, the magic is a bit on the weaker side."

"W-wait, what is this? Who's Orphus? And who are _you_?" Alexa asked desperately, but the boy backed away from the bars as the bull guard returned and opened the cell door.

"Get up," he ordered Alexa. "She has a meeting with the master now." Before Alexa could protest, she was roughly pulled up from the ground and yanked out of the cell. She just managed to slip the stone in her pant pocket as the bull led her down the corridor. Her feet, only covered by a pair of fuzzy socks, stung as they walked along the uneven rocky path. They turned a corner, and reached another hallway where the floors were made of polished marble. This one was also was lined with bronze statues leading to a metal door. The statues appeared to be of humans, cats, and birds. Alexa glanced around, noticing the expression of the statues; they appeared panicked. Alexa found herself wondering who in the right mind would forge statues to look such a way. The guard knocked on the medal door, and it swung open to reveal a circular chamber. He shoved Alexa in, causing her to stumble forward and fall flat on the cold marble floor.

"I've brought her, Master Orphus," the guard bowed deeply to a figure standing at the front of the chamber.

"Very good. He should keep an eye on her." Alexa pushed herself up in time to see the figure turning to face her. She shuddered when she saw a dark beak emerging from the hood that covered most of his face. When he reached out to grab the gold rod beside him that ended in the head of an eagle, however, Alexa saw a pair of bear-like claws.

"Does she know why she is her?" he seemed to address Alexa.

"N-no, sir." Alexa managed. _Oh god, wake up…_

"At approximately one hour to moonrise, she has been recorded illegally casting the magic spell Gateway. We intercepted her spell and brought her directly here, as we do with all who attempt Gateway. As the citizens of this world know, use of magic is _strictly_ prohibited under the Manchuzoo Order. Violation of this law is met with the harshest of punishments. Is this clear to her?"

"I-I'm sorry, sir, I didn't k-know!" Alexa insisted, her voice trembling. "I-I'm not from here!"

" 'Not from here' she says. So she confirms that she is of another world?"

"Yes!" Alexa verified desperately. "I'm not from here! This is a mistake, I just want to go back home!"

"We see." Orphus ran his claws along the gold rod, creating a sound similar to nails on a chalkboard. Alexa winced at the harsh noise. "Regardless, law is law. And she has broken one of our fundamental rules. A punishment is in order."

He paced forward, and Alexa sunk closer to the floor, shaking.

"Hm…she is a very small human. We are not used to seeing wizards this young."

"I-I'm not a wizard," Alexa muttered. _Please wake up…_

"But she casted a spell, did she not?" Orphus stated curiously.

"It wasn't mine, it was my dad's! He's totally wacked, I mean it's his fault I'm even here and-"

" 'Her dad's', she says," he muttered, ignoring her prattle. The cloaked bird figure examined her for a moment. "...She is weak. We see that she does not pose an immediate threat. Still, we mustn't take any risks that would threaten the order." He straightened up, clearing his throat.

"Very well. She should be very thankful that she is not in the company of Master Garmr or Mistress Bastelle, for they are far harsher than us. In an act of our kindness, we will grant her a choice. We can imprison her for a bit longer and see if we can make use of her, or we can remove her from here immediately. Choose wisely." Alexa's head shot up for a moment.

"You can remove me from here?" she whispered hopefully, assuming he meant send her home.

"We can." Alexa thought she caught a hint of amusement in his otherwise monotone voice. "So, human, what does she decide?"

"Send me home!" Alexa begged, staring pleadingly at the bird's unseen eyes. His gave a strange sound that could easily be interpreted as laughter. The bull guard also gave a snort.

"If she wishes to be removed, then we shall remove her." He looked to his guard. "Hold her steady."

Alexa squeaked in surprise when the bull yanked her up and held her firmly in place. Orphus began speaking in an unusual language, as a ball of light formed in the open beak of the eagle-headed rod. The bull's grip was so tight that Alexa could feel her wrists becoming bruised. Orphus stopped his chanting for a moment.

"One last choice, _human_." He spoke as though he were speaking to a child. "Would she like to rest in the citadel gardens, or the hallways?"

"W-wait, _what_?" she managed through gritted teeth, crying out when the bull's hold intensified on her arms.

"If she does not have a preference, we are sure she will be a nice addition to the décor of Morriban." He lowered his rod as the ball of light intensified.

_Décor? What does… _She froze, suddenly recalling the hallway that had taken her to this chamber. It was filled with bronze statues, their expressions unusually animate for a metal object…

_Oh my god._

Alexa panicked when the realization hit, writhing in the bull's hold. She whimpered when his hoof stomped near her foot to silence her. She desperately prayed that she would spontaneously wake up, but the bull's bone-crushing grasp informed her that this was no dream. She prepared to succumb to his grip when a thought occurred to her.

_That stone._ She knew the idea of a stone having magic powers was completely bogue; but then again, this whole situation was bogue. Without much else to lose, she stuck her hand into her pant pocket, wincing at the strain it caused on her hurt wrist, and just managed to grasp the stone between two of her fingers.

"Farewell, wizard's child," Orphus announced, lowering the rod. Alexa maneuvered the stone into her palm and clutched it for dear life. The ball of light spilled crackling magic, turning pieces of the marble floor into shiny bronze tiles. She tightly closed her eyes and didn't bother to stop the thought that entered her head in a childish and pitiful voice:

_Help me, dad!_

A beam of light shot towards just as she was suffused in a cool blue glow. She heard the bull holding her give a bellow of surprise as his grip was yanked from her arms. The stone in her hand vanished as her vision turned blue.

And then everything became dark.

_"…"_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"Alexa…"_

_Huh? Alexa thought in confusion. She opened her eyes and glanced around at her surroundings. She was in a long, dark hallway. The hall was lined with statues of what appeared to be wolves; their jaws were parted and a glowing fire brewed within their mouth. At the end of the hall was a simple wooden door._

_"...Alexa…" She heard the voice again. It was so familiar, and yet she couldn't place a name to it._

_"It will soon be time…Alexa…" The voice whispered in her ear, as though it were standing right beside her. "I'll be waiting for you…"_

"_Who are you?" she thought. But there was no response. Alexa took a cautious step towards the door. Suddenly, the floor beneath her collapsed._

_And she was falling._

…

"_Crikey_, she's out like a lantern!"

"And look at 'er wrists! Poor lass is bruised as a rotting babana."

"She's got a proper case of comatose, eh?"

"Well, wouldn't you if you fell from the _flippin sky_?"

"Oi, wait mun, she's waking up!"

"Urgh…" Alexa groaned, moving a hand up to her forehead as her eyes open. Her head was pounding and her vision was blurred, but she made out an array of curious eyes staring at her beneath a ceiling of dark tree branches.

"Mornin', sleepy head!" a fairy in the middle greeted her. "You a'ight? You had a mighty long fall, you know." Alexa stared at him blankly.

"Long fall…"

"Fell out of the sky, you did. Came barreling down here like a flippin ulk. Fall off your dragon or somethin'?"

"W-wha…?" she started, snapping out of her daze. Her eyes widened in horror. "I-I..."

"Hm? What was that now?"

"Y-y-you're…"

"We're what?" One of the fairies marched up until he was inches from her face and gave her a knock on the head. "Spit it out, lazy tongue!" Alexa blinked at the fairy once.

And then she screamed.


	5. A Reluctant Heroine (Heart of Adventure)

The poll results ended up in an exact tie (counting the vote in the reviews), so I'm going to mix n' match how I update. This chapter is the longest yet, and expect even longer chapters to come following long waits (and depending on interest, I may update with two chapters in a row occasionally). Also, author's notes like this will be gone in a few chapters, once the story gets into a real flow. On that, enjoy the next chapter!

...

Alexa desperately shuffled back until she hit a tree, breathing hard. "What _are _you?!"

"What 'are' we?"

"Did she just ask 'what are we'? How rude, mun!"

"What, never seen a fairy before? She's proper cracked, ain't she?"

Alexa shook her head, the noise only making her head pound further.

"Well, maybe she's just mighty confused!" a high-pitched voice chirped above the others. The crowd of fairies parted and a much smaller, pale orange fairy hopped forward. He wore a blue scarf and had two whip-like antennae protruding from his head, one of which was bent unusually.

"Hullo there, lass! I'm sure you're shaken over all this, en't cha? S'alright, you're among friends." He hopped up to her, landing on her chest and leaning in. She held her breath, willing herself not to scream again.

"Hmnnn," he hummed. His straight antennae darted beneath her chin and tilted up her head so he could examine her face. "_Crikey_, you look familiar. I mean, it's flippin _uncanny_. Have we crossed paths before?"

"Oi, Tiny, get off 'er!" one of the bigger fairies called. "Let the adults handle this." The fairy gave a yelp as he was lifted off of her.

"Don't mind Teeny Tiny there. He's the runt of our litter, see. Just a littlie."

"I am _not_ a littlie!" the small fairy called defiantly as he was carried away.

"Sorry 'bout that, Tiny's words are a proper ton bigger than his body. Anywhoo, mind telling us how you ended up here?" another fairy questioned.

"I'm not sure, but where…where is _here_?" Alexa managed, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"Well, I'd love to say The Fairygrounds, but that en't the case. We've been kicked out, see, our homes stripped from us by those nasty invaders. Worst of all, our very own Lord High Lord himself has been taken by em! The rest of us have taken up refuge with ol' oakface here in the Deep Dark Woods. You should probably go pay him a visit, he was worried 'bout you when we told him how we found you all conked out."

"Oakface?" Alexa repeated dubiously.

"Follow that path o'er there until you get to a proper big tree with a face. He'll tell ya what to do from there. Oh, and watch for monsters on the way. Look lively!" The fairies dispersed, and Alexa shakily stood up. The rush of blood to her head from standing nearly made her topple over again, but she managed to catch herself on a nearby tree. She took a brief glance at her surroundings. The forest was dank and ominous, the tree occasionally rustling at the movement of some creature. Desperate to find a way to return home, Alexa hesitantly pushed herself forward and began to make her way down the dimly lit path. She had only made it a few yards, however, when she heard the snapping of twigs above her. Terrified, she barely managed to look up when something jumped down.

"Oi!"

The small fairy from earlier was hanging in front of her, his straight antennae wrapped around a low branch. "How do? Up and at 'em, I see!"

"O-oh, hi," Alexa breathed, relieved it wasn't a monster.

"Tidy to see you back on your feet. But y' know, I never did catch your name," the fairy noted, swinging himself back up to sit on the branch.

"Alexa," the teen muttered.

"Alexa, eh? Interesting. Can't say I know an 'Alexa'. Then again, I haven't seen humans in a long while." He titled his head. "So, lickety-Lex, where'd you reign from?" He leaned down at bit, studying her face.

"Wait, that's not-" she started in protest of the nickname, but he started up his prattle again.

"Hm...you hold yourself like those in Ding Dong Dell, but your hair is classically Autumnian…and those eyes are quite common among the Al Mamoon folk. Not to mention that fair skin is popular up in Yule. You've stumped me with the weird clothes, though." He looked to her expectantly. "Well? Don't keep me guessing."

"None of those places," she finally replied. "I'm not from here."

"Not from here? Well 'course not, I wouldn't expect a young lass like you to be raised in a dark ol' forest like this."

"No, I mean, I'm from _here_," she gestured around herself. "I'm not from your…world."

"Not from…_my world_?!" The fairy swung back down on the branch, staring at her in awe. "Crikey! Don't tell me your one of them blasted Zoorians?! Wait, no, you're not an animal…at least from what I can see. You haven't got a tail or something, do you?"

"N-no, I don't have a tail," Alexa replied dumbly. "And I'm not a…Zoorian, or whatever. I'm from Earth."

"Never heard of it," the fairy admitted. "Although…ah! I bet you're from the world of the Savior!"

"Savior?"

"Yeah, that makes sense! But I'm afraid you've arrived at the wrong time. Maybe a few years ago I'd have given you a formal tour of my world, but today…no such luck. Not with those bullies running around and messing with our home."

"I don't actually want to be here," Alexa admitted. "I'm trying to figure out how I can get back home."

"Well, that's a toughie with the ban on spell use. Maybe ask Oakface about it?"

"That's what I was going to do," she told him, flustered by his entire interruption.

"Tidy. I'll come with you, then." He stopped for a moment. "If you don't mind, of course."

"Oh. Um, no, I don't mind," Alexa replied. "But…what was your name again?"

"Oh. Right. I suppose I forget that, ahem, _little_ detail." His face contorted into a sour expression and he folded his arms, still dangling from the branch by his straight antennae. "My butties call me Teeny Tiny. You know, cuz of my size and all. Never grew to be quite as big as them. Not for lack of trying, might I add. I ate all my squid, did all my class work, performed all my fairy tasks…nothing. My Mam says it's cuz I'm the runt, but that gives 'em _no_ right to call me a littlie."

"I get it," Alexa murmured without thinking. "About everyone thinking you're younger than you actually are, I mean."

"Do you?" His expression turned from annoyance to surprise. "Do your butties call you a littlie, too?"

"Well, they don't use that word, but my parents always treat me like a kid. I mean, they _really_ harsh my mellow. Especially my dad."

"You talk proper weird, lickety-Lex. But yeah, awful, ain't it? I'll bet your chalk-full of potential, but no one notices, eh? They think you're all big talk. Then you try and prove 'em wrong and they tell you off for it."

"Exactly!" Forgetting that she was talking to a fairy—and one that looked nothing like a standard fairy—Alex joined in his fervor. "They always say you're too young, or too irresponsible. They say they're just 'protecting you' or some bogue excuse like that."

"Yes, yes! Crikey, and here I thought I was the only one!" Tiny swung forward, landing atop Alexa's head. "Well, I'm taking a liking to ya! I think we'll be getting along just fine, eh, lickety-Lex?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," she replied with a small smile.

"Onward, then, to Oakface!" He slid onto her shoulder as she began walking again. Alexa couldn't help but hold her smile as they continued on. As an only child, Alexa had lived the majority of her life with just her parents, and no siblings to vent to when she quarreled with them. Being able to complain with someone who understood her plight was refreshing.

"So, how much do you know about us fairies?" Tiny asked after a while.

"A bit from my dad," Alexa replied. "But I always pictured you guys as…more fairy-like, I guess? Except for Mr. Drippy."

"Flippin' heck, you know Lord High Lord Drippy?!"

"Not exactly. I have a doll that looks like him, though…n-not that I sleep with it, or anything childish like that."

"That fairy is my flippin' _idol_," Tiny gushed. "A proper talent, that one was. Always off on adventures, earning the respect of all the other fairies…truthfully, I wanna be just like him someday. Though, no one knows his whereabouts these days. See-" His words were interrupted when Alexa stopped abruptly.

"Oh my god," she muttered, stumbling back.

"What? Monster? What's up?" Tiny asked, climbing onto her head to get a view. He recognized the sentient oak tree looming in front of them. "Oh, hullo there, Oakface!"

"Hello, Teeny Tiny," the tree greeted.

"You just…" Alexa muttered, continuing to back up in horror. Forgetting to pay attention, Alexa tripped on a root, falling to the mossy ground and sending Tiny tumbling off of her.

"Oi, what's with you, lickety-Lex? Never seen a talking tree before?"

"No, as a matter of fact I _haven't_," she managed, staring wide-eyed at the tree.

"Please do not be alarmed," the tree spoke to her. "I gather that you are not from here. But if it's any comfort, I can't move from this place."

"Ok…" Alexa breathed, mustering up the confidence to stand again. She was terrified, but she didn't want to be a baby about it, especially after her conversation with Tiny.

"You may call me Father Oak," the tree told her. "I heard that you had quite the fall. Now tell me, young one: what is your name? How did you get here?"

"My name is Alexa," the teen started, trying to keep her voice steady as she met the gaze of the tree. "I got here by…casting a spell, I think. Well, actually, I started off in this prison with animals, but another prisoner gave me a rock that teleported me here."

"A Warp Stone?" Father Oak determined. "You were very fortunate. Magic stones were created by the three Great Sages not too long ago, as a way to execute spells that the Zoorians cannot detect. Their magic can be faulty, though, which is probably why you were warped to the middle of the sky above here. The spell you used to arrive to this world, Gateway, has been banned for a while now."

"Is there any other way to go back?" Alexa asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not," the tree admitted. "The Warp Stones only work for traveling within this world. And if you attempt Gateway again, you will be teleported directly to the prisons in Morriban, where they will turn you into bronze. Thank the Ancients that you were able to avoid this fate the first time."

"What is the Manchuzoo Order, anyway?" Alexa muttered. _Dad never mentioned anything about them in his stories…_

"A tyrannical rule that formed when the Zoorian folk invaded," Father Oak explained solemnly. "From what I've been told, Zoorians are ruthless world conquerors. They own a huge empire in their home world of Manchu, and openly travel between other worlds to steal resources. Apparently they took special interest in our world once they discovered it, and decided to completely take it over. They even brought a portion of their population to live in the kingdoms and the smaller towns like Castaway Cove and Perdida."

"The cheek!" Tiny spat. "What, owning a big 'ol empire in their own world just en't enough for 'em? We fairies were content with a rock in the sea, for flippin' sake!"

"The Zoorians themselves come from a world not much different than this one," Father Oak went on. "The primary difference is that their world is composed of sentient animals, but no humans. Their magic and technology is far superior to ours, however, so they were able to seize power here with little difficulty. Their rods are capable of incredibly potent magic, including transformation curses, high-scope teleportation, and even forms of mind control."

"So I have no hope of returning home…" Alexa dropped her gaze to the mossy floor.

"Not unless the Order is overthrown. But that's impossible at this rate. They have already captured the Great Sages and seized our kingdoms. Our only hope was the Savior Oliver, but he, too, has been captured."

"W-wait, did you just say Oliver?" Alexa snapped out of her daze.

"Yes…does that name mean something to you?"

"Oliver is my dad's name!" Every tale he even told her came rushing back, and her eyes widened in the realization. "Y-you mean, all those stories…"

"C-crikey! It all makes sense now!" Tiny hopped onto her head, looking down at her face. "I knew you look'd familiar! The Savior Oliver saved me and my butties when were just littlies, see? From a proper large jellyfish, too!"

"Yeah, I know…" she mumbled, remembering the jellyfish story all too clearly. "That was when he had to travel into the Fairy Godmother's guts, right?"

"Look at that, lickety-Lex is a proper historian!" Tiny swung down in front of her, beaming. "I can't flippin' believe it! We're in the presence of the Savior's child, oakface! And if the Savior can save us, I'll bet my left antennae his kid can, too!"

"I must admit, I never expected this," the tree mused. "But then again, I can see it. Maybe you don't have his attitude, but you certainly share his looks. This does change things considerably."

"What's happened to the Sav-to my father?" Alexa asked cautiously.

"As I mentioned before, he has probably been captured since he cast Gateway to get here. What they have done with him…I am not certain."

"You've got to save him!" Alexa blurted out. "I-I mean…I just learned my 'crazy' dad isn't crazy, and now he's gotten himself captured? Please, Father Oak, isn't there something you can do?"

"I cannot save him," Father Oak said bluntly. "I am not permitted to leave this spot. However," his lips turned upwards in a slight smile, "_You_ might have a chance."

"Me?" Alexa echoed. She stared down at her disheveled appearance. Her pajamas were covered in dirt and twigs, and the fuzzy fabric of her socks was peppered with holes from the gravel in the prison. She quickly shook her head, staring up at the sentient oak incredulously. "Are you _wacked_? I don't know how to use magic, I don't know anything about how this psycho-convention of a world works, _hell_, I just woke up an hour or so ago!"

"If you are the Savior Oliver's child, surely you possess his pure heart?" Father Oak paused for a moment. "Although being heartbroken is not the problem anymore. The Savior mended all the hearts. Even then, it was not enough for us to stand up to the Manchuzoo Order. But I digress." He looked back to Alexa. "You would like to return home, wouldn't you?"

"Duh!" she replied hotly, trying to hide her nervousness behind attitude. "I'd love to leave this grody place as soon as possible!"

"And you clearly wish to save your father?"

"I mean, yeah," Alexa muttered. Truthfully, she still felt mad at him from dinner the night before. But as much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew the majority of her anger was toward herself.

"Then as the daughter of the Savior, and a child with the potential powers of a sorceress, you will have to embark on a quest."

"Well, _there's_ incredible!" Tiny exclaimed, beaming. "It's just like Lord Drippy when he chaperoned the Savior! Do you know how flippin' long _I've_ wanted to go questing?! And now, the chance has literally fallen from the sky! Tidy, eh, lickety-Lex?"

"A quest…" Alexa repeated. The childish side of her was excited by the word. Alexa always had wanted to go on adventures like her dad had…when she was a kid. But that was before she learned that magic wasn't real, and that all her dad's stories were phony.

But magic was real. And her dad's stories weren't phony in the slightest.

"I'll…I'll go," she muttered. She looked up to Father Oak, her blue eyes now sparkling in childlike determination. "What do I need to do to save my father?"

"There's Oliver's child," Father Oak smiled. "Now then, the mystery is not where your father is located. I am almost certain he is in Morriban, the citadel in which the masters of the Manchuzoo Order hold their prisoners and execute punishment. But I'm afraid there are a few problems with attempting to travel there immediately. First, you are not powerful enough to even go near such a place. The monsters there would tear you apart. Second, Morriban is on the other side of the map from this forest: across water, and beyond Autumnia. And finally, your current wand—the one I've been holding for you ever since you arrived here—stands little chance against the rods of the Zoorian masters."

"So what should I do?" Alexa asked weakly, her brief determination plummeting at each point the tree listed off.

"S'alright, lickety-Lex! I'll bet we can knock off each of those points if we work at it. It'll be a full-fledged adventure, eh? We'll climb all the mountains, sail all the seas, tour all the towns…" Tiny went on, his eyes still glowing with excitement. "We'll save your old man, and Lord High Lord Drippy, too! That'll show 'em how _wrong_ they are to call us littlies!" Tiny puffed out his chest and turned to face Father Oak. "Well then, oakface, where to first?"

"Well, your first step should be to travel to the nearby kingdom, former home of King Tom."

"Oh, I know what you're talking about!" Alexa snapped back to focus, the little girl in her speaking again. "That story used to be one of my favorites. Ding Dong Dell, kingdom of the cat king, right?"

Father Oak hesitated. "…Formerly, yes. But the Manchuzoo Order arrested King Tom when he refused to abide by their law, and banished all of his subjects. I suppose they had little use for the kingdom, though, because they left it alone once it was emptied. When the mice of Ding Dong Well learned of King Tom's arrest, they took it over. Today, it has been renamed Ring Rong Rell, royal sewer city of the rat King Hickory Dock."

"Royal _sewer_ city? Crikey, and I was hoping for a luxurious experience…" Tiny muttered.

"Rat king? I think dad fought him once," Alexa added.

"Your goal there would be to acquire a Guide Stone from King Hickory Dock. The stone will steer you in the general direction of wherever you ask it to lead you, so it will be of vast important for the majority of your journey. Keep in mind the stone works for people, as well, so you can use it to locate someone, if necessary. And unlike the Warp Stone, it will not vanish upon use. Now truthfully, I am not sure that you can make the rat king cooperate. But if you're anything like your father, I'm sure you'll figure something out." His branches shook, and the stick that got Alexa into this entire mess fell near her feet.

"Here's your wand, by the way. I'm not sure how you acquired such a tool, and it's not nearly as strong as your father's wand, Mornstar…but even a weak wand is integral for a young sorceress like yourself. The Manchuzoo Order may have banned magic, but if you stick to low level spells and primary use familiars for fighting, they will not be able to detect you. Anyway, once you acquire the stone, ask it to lead you to the desert kingdom of Al Mamoon. Search the city for Esther, an old traveling companion of your father's. Tell her who you are, and I am certain she will be more than willing to help you from there. But please, take my words lightly; I am not sure what has been going on beyond Ring Rong Rell, and there's a high chance everything has completely changed, including the structure of the other two kingdoms. Be very careful."

"O-ok…" Alexa replied steadily, trying to keep track of all the info. The tree's eyes shifted to the fairy beside her.

"And Teeny Tiny? As her…self-elected chaperon, I trust that you will help her through the challenges she will face on her quest."

"Will do, sir oakface!" Tiny nodded enthusiastically, giving a salute with his straight antennae.

"Oh, but before you two set off, I've got a few things to give you. And yes, it includes a new set of clothes for you, Alexa. Teeny Tiny, would you mind climbing up into my branches and retrieving the tunic and pair of boots?"

"Sure thing!" Tiny hopped over to the oak and up his gnarled branches, vanishing into his leaves. He reappeared a few moments later.

"Eyes up, lickety-Lex!" he called, tossing down articles of clothing. Alexa quickly ran over and caught them. The tunic was light teal, with strands of gossamer thread woven into the fabric, and the boots were made of aging brown leather.

"I know it's not much, but it is the best I have," Father Oak replied. "In fact, that Starspun Tunic was not made for people, but for particularly large familiars…regardless, it should fit your size acceptably. And the boots were left by a travel long ago, but don't worry, they are in near-perfect condition."

"Thanks…" Alexa replied hesitantly. The outfit looked like something she would've worn for Halloween when she was a kid. But she didn't want to stay in her grimy pajamas, so she went behind a nearby tree and quickly changed into them. The tunic was a bit snug, and the boots were stiff, but she felt a lot less silly in them than she did with her sleep wear. She returned out to see Tiny, who was now holding her wand in his straight antennae.

"Looking lively, lickety-Lex!" he complimented. "Now there's some authentic wear for these parts! Even if the ol' tunic is meant for familiars."

"What's a 'familiar'?" Alexa asked, hoping the question didn't sound stupid after the tree and the fairy had mentioned the word so many times. "I mean, my dad told me he and his friends all had three of them, but that's all I really know."

"Well, they're little critters of the soul!" Tiny explained. "Like warriors, see. Magic folk cast a spell to summon them, and they fight in your place! Tidy, eh?"

"Actually, this topic brings me to the final gift I have for you," Father Oak spoke up. A few moments later, a slip of old paper fluttered down from his branches. "For you, Alexa. If you're aiming to be a sorceress, you simply must have one of these." Alexa picked up the sheet, squinting to read the rugged, fading print beneath the unusual letter:

_Form Familiar_


	6. New Companions (Heart of Loyalty)

Here's where the quest truly begins, but first, Alexa needs a familiar. And nope, it's not a Mite; her soul is quite different than her father's, after all! In terms of how I picked her familiar, I chose one that reflects her character development in its metamorphoses: so its first form is like her when she was a child, etc. I've known what it was since I first created her as a character. The name she chooses for it will be explained later (when Alexa visits the Palace of Memory). This is the case for any other unanswered questions that are posed about Alexa's childhood as the story goes on.

Oh, and the scene where Alexa tries to use her wand as a weapon is a joke at how using the wand physically does close to nothing in the game -_- I distinctly remember sending Oliver to do a physical attack on accident and getting a series of "-1" with his frantic swinging :P

Anyway, happy reading!

...

"If you're going off on your own, you'll need someone to protect you. That spell will conjure up a warrior of your soul: more commonly known as a familiar. Cast it with your wand to find out which familiar your soul will create."

"Warrior of my soul?" Alexa repeated.

"Here y' are, lickety-Lex!" Tiny hopped up to her, holding out the wand wrapped in his antenna. She set down the bundle of her pajamas and took it, and traced the pattern on the paper hesitantly. The traced pattern lit up, and Alexa felt sudden warmth spread through her ribs.

"H-huh?" she gasped as a soft yellow light emitted from her chest. The light shifted forward and formed a glowing ball, and Alexa could just make out pointed ears and a long tail as it hovered to the ground. The ball split open, releasing the creature. It looked like an ordinary house cat, except for its glossy purple coat and delicate golden wings protruding from its back. The cat creature began to groom itself quietly.

"An Auroralynx, eh?" Tiny spoke up. "Not bad, lickety-Lex! Proper good healers, these little creatures are. They fall under the Arcana category, so they're all pure and good and the like. Don't be fooled, though; I've heard these kitties get a dark side once they go through metamorphosis!"

"Ok…" Alexa replied, staring at her first familiar curiously. The cat noticed her stare and quit its preening, tilting its head at her.

"Well? Aren't you gonna name it?" Tiny prompted.

"Hm? Oh, sure…" Alexa bent down, examining her creation. It paced up to her, rubbing its head against her knee as a low purr vibrated in its throat.

"Eve," Alexa decided.

"Eve?" Tiny echoed. "Interesting choice. Any particular reason you're calling her that?"

"No, not really," she replied with a small smile, giving her familiar a pat on the head. The cat suddenly stopped her affectionate nuzzling, staring at Alexa's hand. Alexa followed the cat's gaze, noticing she was fixated on Alexa's bruised wrist.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that…" she muttered have to herself, wincing when she tried to flex it. On beat, Eve spread out her folded wings and began to glow.

"Wh-what's she doing?..." Alexa managed as she watched the bruises on her arms glow in sync with her familiar. The wounds, just beginning to purple, rapidly faded until Alexa was staring at pale, unharmed skin. There was no sign that injuries had even been there.

"Ah, there's lovely! She went and fixed you up with Healing Touch, eh? You should feel good as new, now!" Alexa blinked at her fairy companion, and then looked back to her familiar.

"T-thanks…" she muttered to her. Eve mewed in reply, rubbing against her hand.

"When yer all done using the familiar, just call 'er back to your soul. Familiars are great cuz you don't need to worry about taking care or feeding 'em. Although I've heard their strength goes up if you reward 'em with treats."

"Take good care of it," Father Oak spoke up. "Seeing that your wand magic is limited, your Auroralynx will be doing a lot of the fighting for you. Of course, they are more commonly used as healers…so perhaps pick up some good offensive equipment for it once you arrive at Ring Rong Rell. Metamorphosis will help, too, but worry about that later."

"Will do," Alexa replied. She looked at her soul warrior. "Um…you can come back now, Eve." Catching the hint, the cat familiar turned into light and leapt back into Alexa's chest. Alexa blinked, surprised at how quickly she vanished.

"You can keep up to three critters," Tiny explained. "Although recruitment can be difficult, 'specially at your level, so focus on 'Eve' or whatsit for now."

"And aside from that, I have one other spell I'll give you." Father Oak's branches rustled once more, and another slit of paper fell. "A basic offensive spell, Fireball. If Eve grows weary, don't be afraid to step it and cast this a few times. It costs low MP, so the Zoorian masters won't be able to detect it."

"Ok," Alexa replied, tucking away the spell. "Thanks, Father Oak. I…I really appreciate it."

"Anything for Oliver's child," he answered kindly. "But you should probably be on your way. Best of luck on your journey to Ring Rong Rell. I'm sure many experiences await you…but if you ever have the chance, do stop back here and let me know how things are going."

"We'll be back faster than you can say 'Slumbernot'," Tiny assured, puffing up his chest proudly. "And if my butties ask where I've gone, just tell 'em I'm off saving the world with the next savior."

"I-I don't know if you should call me that," Alexa muttered hesitantly. "I haven't even fought my first monster yet."

"I have no doubts," Tiny insisted confidently, skipping ahead of her. "I can see it in yer eyes, lickety-Lex. You've got a proper massive lot of potential." He turned around, waving to Father Oak with his straight antenna. "Ta, oakface, we'll be on our way! C'mon, lickety-Lex, to Ring Rong Rell!" He continued down the path leading past the large oak tree.

"C-coming!" Alexa called. She gathered up her pajamas and put them by the base of the tree. "Watch my clothes, ok? I'll come pick them up when I'm done with this…mess."

"Most certainly," Father Oak replied with a smile. "Oh, and Alexa?"

"Yes?"

"I do mean it when I tell you to be careful." His warm smile vanished and his expression became dark. "These are not beings of my world that you are dealing with, and I hardly know the extent of their power. Tiny is quite the enthusiast, but he will not be able to protect you against the Manchuzoo Order if they deem you a threat. And if they capture you again, who knows what they might do to you. Train extensively, acquaint yourself with as many people of this world as you can, and never let your guard down. Defy the Order quietly, and you may stand a chance as bringing them down."

"R-right," she nodded, trying to hide her nervousness. "I'll keep that in mind. Bye, Father Oak." She dipped her head, before following down the path that Tiny vanished into. The woods were oddly quiet, and Alexa kept a cautious hand on her wand as she proceeded through the shadows.

"Tiny?" she called hesitantly. But the fairy was nowhere to be seen.

"_I hope a monster didn't get him,"_ Alexa thought worriedly, speeding up her walking. The fairy was supposed to be her chaperon, and yet Alexa couldn't help but feel responsible for her small, if not a bit reckless, companion.

"Lickety-Lex!" A voice suddenly called from above her, and Alexa felt something land on her head. Tiny's antennae dangled in front of her eyes.

"Tiny!" Alexa exclaimed, relieved.

"Sorry 'bout that, didn't realize you were lingering behind. Not quite living up to your nickname, eh? But anyway, I did some quick searching 'round up in these tees, and know what's proper weird? This whole forest is monster-free."

"Really?" Alexa asked, further relief filling her chest.

"Yup. Dunno why. But it should make the road to Ring Rong Rell a wee bit easier." He slid off her head and onto her shoulder. She continued down the path, her new boots creating a soft click against the hardened soil of the ground.

"But I'm proper excited, y'know?" Tiny started. "To be adventuring, and the like. I've been to a few odd spots in my days, but the only kingdom I've seen is Ding Dong Dell, for the celebration of the Dark Djinn's defeat. Ah, good times, those were. But I guess we'll be visiting all the others on this journey, eh? The royals may have been displaced thanks to those animal rotters, but the buildings are the same, right?" Alexa listened to him prattle on as she walked, noticing his bent antenna hanging limply from the corner of her eye.

"Oh hey, Tiny?" she interrupted his fantasy to question the unusual feature. "I've been meaning to ask; why is one of your antenna different than the other?" The fairy stopped his chatter immediately. He slipped off her shoulder, landing on the path in front of her.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked briskly, turning his back to her.

"I mean, one of your antenna is bent all weird. Is there a reason?"

"C' mon then, lickety-Lex, we can't keep Ring Rong Rell waiting!" He ignored her completely, skipping ahead. Alexa sighed, picking up the pace to keep up with him. _Clearly it's a touchy subject,_ she thought as he resumed rambling about his excitement to be traveling. However, his words were interrupted by rustling from a patch of bushes in front of them, blocking their path.

"Huh?" Tiny stopped in his tracks, holding out his straight antenna to keep Alexa back. "Hold up, lickety-Lex, there's something up ahead."

"I thought you said there were no monsters," Alexa said hesitantly, tracing her fingers along her wand.

"R-right, I did." Alexa noticed a tremor in his voice. "But, uh, y'know? Something just occurred to me. There's no monsters cuz something probably, y'know…s-scared 'em off, right?"

"Oh." Alexa's heart sank, and she swallowed roughly. The bushes stopped quivering, and for a hopeful moment Alexa thought whatever was there had left. She approached the bushes carefully.

"Watch it, lickety-Lex…" Tiny whispered as she stopped at the edge of them. Suddenly, a figure jumped out from them and bowled into her.

"AHHHHH!" She blindly whipped out her wand and started frantically hitting the figure with it. "Getoffgetoffgetoff!"

"Uh…what are you doing?" the figure asked dubiously. Alexa stopped, slowly opening her eyes and meeting the all-too familiar, purple-eyed gaze.

"You!" Alexa exclaimed, taking a step back from her former savior.

"You know this lad?" Tiny asked, glancing between them.

"Oh good, you remember me!" The boy gave her a coy grin. It was no easier to make out his outfit in the dark forest, but Alexa did manage to catch tufts of grey faux fur on his shoulders. "Hope my Warp Stone didn't give you too much trouble."

"Oh, no trouble _at all_," Alexa muttered darkly. "Except, you know, warping me to the middle of the sky." The boy snorted at this.

"I told you to cover your head, didn't I?" He leaned against a nearby tree, his curved sword hanging limply from a brown leather belt. "I got lucky, mine warped me to the plains just outside this forest. Not too bad a deal, I was hoping to talk to that big-lipped oak tree anyway."

"You mean oakface?" Tiny hopped up to him. "Yup, he's past this ol' path here. We're just coming from 'em."

"Tiny, shh!" Alexa scolded, Father Oak's words about being cautious echoing in her mind. The boy didn't appear dangerous, but she didn't want to take any chances. She turned to him. "Anyway, this fairy and I ought to be on our way, so if you don't mind-"

"What, I don't even get a thank you?" he pouted. "I saved your pretty guts back in Morriban, you know!"

"Yeah, well, _thanks_," she huffed. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to get out of this forest."

"The exit's just ahead of here," the boy told them, tilting his head towards the bushes. "I'm in no rush, so I can take you two, if you want."

Alexa hesitated. This was the first human she'd met in this world, but she didn't want to take risks. Then again, he didn't appear all that hostile, and he _had_ saved her earlier.

She prepared to reply when she noticed the boy was staring at her, hiding the faintest of smiles.

"W-what…?"

"By the skies, _now_ what are you wearing?!" the boy finally asked, trying to contain his laughter.

"Huh?" Alexa looked down at her tunic and boots, and then back up to him in confusion. "Boots and a Starspun Tunic…" At this, he burst into laughter.

"You do realize…" he managed between laughs, "You're wearing a _familiar's_ tunic, right? Like, something _monsters_ wear!"

"So?" she retorted, feeling her face heat up. She glanced at Tiny, who was watching the scene with apparent amusement.

"I've seen some odd fashion trends in my travels, but you win the award for weirdest taste. You're either mighty eccentric or mighty oblivious." He straightened up, quelling his chuckles. "Now, about leaving the forest-"

"Did we ask for your help?" Alexa interrupted. While his assistance would probably be useful, Alexa felt no desire to remain in this jerk's presence. "I think we can get out of here without a moron, thank you very much."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," the boy replied, putting his hands up innocently. "I know this world a lot better than you do."

"He's got a point," Tiny added.

"And apparently he's also a fashion expert," Alexa scoffed. "Anyway, we don't want your help, so you can leave."

"Ok." The boy shrugged. "I'm sure we'll meet up again at some point, anyway. And here, just in case another lily-livered ox tries to getcha." He tossed her another Warp Stone with a wry smile. "If you focus really hard, you can probably warp to the middle of the ocean!" He pushed himself off the tree and began heading up the path without another word. Alexa tucked his gift away wordlessly.

"What a grueler," she muttered, self-consciously pulling her tunic closer around her.

"Aw, whaddya do that for, lickety-Lex?" Tiny asked. "He'd have been a mighty useful ally, 'en he?"

"No one needs an idiot like that," Alexa huffed. "He didn't even give me his name."

"But here's interesting; did you catch a glimpse of his outfit?"

"No, but I heard a good deal about mine," she grumbled.

"That lad has sky pirate written all over him. 'Specially with that sword of his. Wonder what he's doing down here?"

"Sky pirate?" Alexa had heard about them numerous times in her dad's tales. They originally came from Xanadu, a kingdom in the clouds that was destroyed during Shadar's reign. He also mentioned they were a bit on the gruff side.

Alexa bitterly thought back to the boy's amused grin. He certainly hadn't been lying about that.

"It really is a proper shame you didn't take up his offer of companionship, lickety-Lex. I'll bet he could've taken us around by airship!"

"We'll be fine," she assured. And besides, the _last_ thing she would want to do is travel by airship. Or by dragon, or any method of locomotion that involved heights.

At least, not since that incident when she was little. She clutched her arm, remembering it all too clearly.

"Oi, look ahead!" Tiny suddenly exclaimed. "I see the end! We're almost out of this dank ol' place, eh? C'mon!" She quickly followed after him, the space in the foliage growing closer, until they emerged out of the forest and into the open plains. Alexa could only stare in awe at the mass of land stretched out before her. Beside her, Tiny gasped.

"C-c-crikey!" His voice, usually filled with cheer, sounded horrified. "_What the flippin' heck did they do_?!"


	7. Ring Rong Rell (Heart of Corruption)

Here's a longish chapter for you guys due to the wait. Anyway, this is the last consistent author's note. The start of the next chapter will lead straight into the story. Thanks to all who are following this fic, I really hope you'll enjoy what I've got in store!

Lorealie, thank you for the comment! To address your questions: First, I do not plan to have Alexa go on the same adventure as Oliver-hence why I left out the whole 'broken-heart' bit-so no, she's not aiming to complete the Wizard's Companion, either. The three pages she currently has are indeed from the original book, but they are the only Wizard Companion pages she's going to have throughout the story (how/why she got them will be explained later). Beyond that, she will be learning her new spells from different sources. As for how she got her wand, that will also be explained later (but just to note, her wand is _not_ Oliver's wand. Oliver is still in possession of Mornstar, even though he has been captured). Finally, yes, "bogue" is a 70s slang word. It's actually an abbreviation of bogus, and like its root word, it means "ridiculous" in the 70s context. Phony, grody, grueler, etc. were also common. Astute observation about the Zodiarchy having some connection to the Manchuzoo Order. I can say that the Zoorians are not Zodiarchy members and do actually come from a different world than the one they've invaded, but the animal theme was not unintentional.

On that note, thanks again to all of my readers/their support on my take of a sequel to this masterpiece of a game. I hope I do not disappoint! Happy reading!

...

Alexa glanced around at the plains. The sky was dark, covered with limp gray clouds, and the grass at her feet was course and dry. Looming in front of her was what she assumed was Ding Dong Dell; except the city towers were splattered with what appeared to be sludge, and the stream circling it was a murky black color.

"They _ruined_ Ding Dong Dell!" Tiny cried, his previous enthusiasm fading into anger. "Look at the poor ol' place! That oversized rodent made it his personal garbage dump!"

"So Hickory Dock rules it now, huh?" Alexa muttered. Fighting the rat king had been the second large battle her father fought upon entering this world. She shuddered, realizing that she might have to face against him, too.

"Well, let's get us that Guide Stone and get the flip out of here," Tiny determined, clambering up atop her head. With a nod, Alexa hesitantly walked down the slope to the path leading to Ring Rong Rell. The moment she stepped on the path, however, a shrill, eerie bark came from behind her. She didn't even have a chance to turn before something rammed into her back. She toppled forward, landing roughly on the sandy path.

"M-monster!" She heard Tiny's voice yell desperately. "Kn-knickers! Get up, quick!" Alexa flipped around in time to see some type of dog perched in front of her, pawing at the dusty path. It's coat was orange and purple, and drops of green saliva hung from its jaws.

"W-what is that thing?!" she cried, holding her wand in front of her with a trembling hand.

"Well, that doesn't make any flipping sense," Tiny mused beside her. "That's a Scruffian, if I ever saw one. But what's it doin' here? It's a final form monster!" Alexa didn't have time to reply as the dog charged at her again. She grabbed Tiny and rolled out of the way just in time, leaving it to only nick the corner of her robes. It spat out the cloth, growling menacingly.

"C-crikey! E-em, trying use a spell!" Tiny suggested, pulling out the Fireball spell from the folds of her tunic and holding it up for her to see. Alexa frantically traced the shape with her wand. After a moment, a small orb of embers shot from it and hit the Scruffian in the face. It yelped and shook its head, but the damage appeared minimal.

"Actually, scratch that. Don't fight it, lickety-Lex," Tiny advised. "You're not strong enough. And then it'll poison you, and then you'll be as good as dead. Just…just run."

"Run?" Alexa questioned. The beast stared at her, and she noticed a purple substance gathering in its mouth.

"_Run_!" Tiny cried, latching himself to her shoulder and wrapping his straight antenna around her arm. "Head to the kingdom! Ol' beastie can't get us beyond the bridge!" Alexa didn't wait, clambering up onto her feet and dashing down the path. She heard the Scruffian's aggressive barks from behind her, hot on her trail.

"Oh, knickers! It's gaining on us, lickety-Lex!" She sped across the bridge, over the sickening black swill in the mount below, and just managed to reach the gates to the kingdom. She panted heavily, glancing back to see the Scruffian on the other side of the bridge. It gave up its chase, sauntering back to the path it'd come from.

"Nice work," Tiny sighed. "I just saw both my antennae flash before my eyes. Your fighting style is as good as a Crashing Boar's, mind, but at least you know how to run."

"What's this?" A voice squeaked from behind her, and she turned around to face the Ring Rong Rell gate. Two mice stood at each end diligently, holding huge spears about ten times bigger than their bodies. Alexa almost chuckled at the ridiculous sight.

"A visitor?" the mouse on the left questioned. "What is she doing here?"

"Do you have an audience with King Hickory, traveler?" the mouse on the right asked.

"O-oh, uh, no," Alexa admitted. "I just-"

"Then what brings you to our kingdom, squeakling?" The left mouse narrowed its eyes.

"Oh, for flip's sake, mouseface," Tiny protested. "We're tourists, see? Keep your tail on. Nothing wrong with wanting to go on a nice stroll around your lovely kingdom, en' it?" The mice looked to each other. After a few seconds, they burst into high-pitched cackling.

"Tourists, they say!" the mouse of the right chuckled. "Oh, that's rich! When's the last time we heard that one?"

"Too long," the mouse of the left laughed. "Never thought we were the kind of place to attract visitors. But very well, you are welcome to enter and _tour_ to your pretty hearts' content. Please, enjoy our lovely city. I'm sure you will find it…_charming_." They turned around and began rolling up the gate to the city.

"T-thank you!" Alexa dipped her head to them.

"Well, that was proper quick. I was expecting more of a challenge," Tiny admitted. "Who knows? Maybe this questy of ours will be easier than we thought!" The mice exchanged an amused glance as Alexa eagerly walked through the gateway. The moment she stepped into the city, however, her boots didn't meet a clean, paved road. Instead, she heard a loud crunch, and glanced at the ground to see it littered with empty styrofoam cups, rotting fruit, and stale bread crumbs. The buildings around her were battered and cracked, with signs hanging limply from broken doors. The intense, putrid stench of mildew nearly made her sick.

"Flipping heck, this place really _has_ gone to the rats!" Tiny managed around coughs, glancing down. "I'd hate be hopping in _that_. Thank the ol' ancients I've got you to latch onto, lickety-Lex."

"Poor Ding Dong Dell…" Alexa muttered, covering her mouth and nose with her tunic to keep out the awful smell. The streets were filled with trash, and mice scurried from place to place, dressed in tiny, ragged robes.

"Which way to the palace?" she asked Tiny. Though her pride wouldn't let her admit it, she had actually been excited to visit the first kingdom she'd only heard about in story. But seeing what had become of the city, she wanted to leave this place _badly_.

"Just follow the path," Tiny instructed. "That is, if you can see it under all this rubbish." Alexa hesitantly began forward, wincing at the grim her boots collected with every step. The single, littered path wrapped around through the dirty kingdom. On some of the walls, Alexa could faintly see painted fish and paw prints left behind from King Tom's rule. But they were either covered in such a thick layer of sludge you could no longer see them, or had different images drawn over them. In particular, Alexa noticed many sketches of cheese.

"Doesn't the Cowlipha like cheese?" Alexa whispered to Tiny, recalling her dad's adventures in Al Mamoon.

"You better believe she does," Tiny replied. "In fact, she was scarfing down a massive ton of it a couple years back before your dad showed up and sorted the place out."

"Yeah…" Alexa muttered, feeling a pang of sadness. "He did some pretty insane stuff, huh…"

"Oi, pipsqueak! Watch it!" A loud squeak came from below Alexa. She blinked in surprise at the mouse glaring up at her, realizing she'd nearly stepped on him. He was wearing the kingdom robes, but unlike other mice, this one had a pair of round, thick glasses.

"O-oh, I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized.

"You'd better be! You nearly squashed me, dumb-dumb! Watch your step next time!" He scampered off in a huff. Alexa watched him go in confusion.

"Whatcha thinking?" Tiny asked her, giving her a small knock on the head. "Quit staring with that mysterious expression on your face, lickety-Lex."

"O-oh, it's nothing," she decided, shaking her head. "Let's just keep moving."

She continued onward until she emerged into the courtyard in front of the palace. By far, it was the worst looking part of the city: the entire yard was filled with about a foot high pile of garbage. The fountain in the center of the yard poured out a black substance that looked more like tar than water. The large cat statue perched on the fountain was covered in marker graffiti. Some mice in the square were chucking trash at it and laughing rowdily. Just beyond it, Alexa could see the outline of the palace.

"I seriously have to walk _through_ this?" Alexa asked incredulously.

"If we wanna get to the king, then yup," Tiny sighed. "Go on, then. Standing here gawking isn't going to make a difference. Just grin and bear it."

"F-fine…" Alexa swallowed roughly, before wading into the trash pile. It rose up to her ankles, and she winced when she felt it brush her bare skin just above her boots. She inhaled sharply, knowing there was no use backtracking now, and continued sloughing through the garbage.

"Doin' alright, lickety-Lex?" Tiny asked her when they made it past the fountain.

"Other than trying not to puke, yeah, I'm fine," Alexa replied through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry, we're less than halfway now," Tiny assured. "You're quite a trooper, y'know. That's a good quality for you humans. Oh, tidy, there's the entrance!" Alexa stopped in front of the pathway to palace, where another pair of guard mice stood vigilant atop the mound of debris. Alexa attempted to walk past them, but the one on the left turned to her instantly.

"Halt!" The left guard squeaked as he approached her. "Just where do you squeaklings think you're going?"

"To see King Hickory, you div," Tiny replied on beat. "Why else would we be at the flipping palace entrance?"

"His Mousejesty does not allow strangers to just scamper into his kingdom," the guard recited. "Now, be gone."

"Wait!" Tiny exclaimed, "Surely we can bring that ol' rat something as a gift?"

"His Mousejesty has no need for gifts. He has all the cheese he could wish for, imported straight from Al Mamoon. Unless you were invited to have an audience with him, you are required to-" A loud flapping sound interrupted his words. The mouse froze, eyes widening.

"Oh, drat," he muttered quickly. "Not another one."

"Huh? What's this, then?" Tiny inquired. The flapping sound was becoming louder by the second. The mice in the square squeaked with alarm and fear.

"Incoming!" One of the mice chirped. They all quickly burrowed into the trash pile.

"G-get down!" The guard demanded, burying himself into the debris.

"Kn-knickers! Look up there, lickety-Lex!" Tiny just managed to point to where a huge grey bird was swooping towards the kingdom. She squinted at it.

"Is that…a pigeon?" she thought aloud.

"And a proper massive one at that!" Tiny gasped. "Follow the ol' guard's advice, lickety-Lex. Duck!"

"W-what?" Alexa looked to Tiny in horror. "Are you wacked? That's _disgusting_! There's no way I'm burying myself in this…_stuff_!" The pigeon crooned loudly, making a dive straight for the courtyard.

"Oh, for flip's sake!" Tiny cried. He hopped off her shoulder. "Crikey, the things I do for my companions…"

"Wait, what do you-" Alexa gasped when she felt something give her a rough shove from behind, sending her face first into the trash pile.

"Stay down!" Tiny ordered, climbing atop her back and flattening himself as best he could. The huge pigeon gave another croon as it glided over the courtyard, searching for potential meals. Seeing none, the pigeon hovered for a moment before pulling back into the sky above Ring Rong Rell, leaving a mass of oversized feathers littering the courtyard. After a few moments, a mouse hesitantly poked his head out of the trash, glancing around for any signs the bird was still nearby.

"Clear!" he finally called. The other mice emerged of out their hiding spots, brushing themselves free of loose trash.

"We're all good, lickety-Lex," Tiny told her, hopping off. She moaned in reply, slowly pushing herself out of the trash. Her entire tunic was covered in wrappers and stains, and pieces of garbage were stuck in her hair. She gave a deathly glare to her fairy companion.

"Oh, k-knickers!" Tiny muttered, backing up. "I-I'm as good as gone, eh? There goes my other antenna!"

"Don't…_ever_ do that again," she seethed darkly. Tiny yelped.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" He repeated, bowing his head franticly. "I-It was instinct, see?! Instinct! I-I didn't want that proper massive bird snatching you up, see? Aw, kn-knickers, please forgive meeee!"

Alexa watched his excessive apologies skeptically, than sighed.

"Well, I suppose you _did _save my life," she admitted. "And you're not nearly as annoying as that pirate kid. So I'll let you off. At least for now."

"Oh, _thank flip_!" Tiny exclaimed, getting back up instantly. "I knew you'd come around, lickety-Lex! Quite a wonderful human, you are! The _best_ I have ever met! You have a fairy's eternal thanks!"

"Whatever," she huffed, shakily standing back up. She brushed as much trash off her tunic as she good, trying to ignore the stains. "Now what was that mutant pigeon all about?"

"Dunno," Tiny admitted, climbing back onto her shoulder. "There were no pigeons last I came to Ding Dong Dell." He glanced back at the guard mice, who had now resumed their position in front of the entrance. "Ta, I suppose there's no use sticking around by 'ere. Tell you what, it's getting a bit late, so let's go hold up at the local inn and think this over for the night. Plus, maybe the innkeeper will know something about these birds."

"Sure," Alexa agreed. She'd barely realized how fast time had gone by since arriving in this world, and a glance at the darkening sky revealed that it was around evening. She waded back through the filth, not caring as much as she originally had since Tiny had doused her in it. She left the courtyard and followed back down the path towards the entrance of the kingdom.

"There's the inn," Tiny told her, pointing to a shabby building just in front of the gates. "Let's go grab a place for the night."

"And hopefully a shower," Alexa added bitterly, wincing in disgust as she pulled a piece of a babana peel out of her hair. The door to the building gave a slight creak as she opened it. Inside, the room was dimly lit. There was a counter towards the back, but no cashier in sight.

"Well, this is proper weird," Tiny whispered back. "Usually these places have quite the…jubilant, of hosts."

"Um, hello?" Alexa called into the inn hesitantly. "Is anyone here?"

"M-mmyoh!" A pitiful mew came in response from behind the counter. Then a cat—a very human-looking cat—peaked out from behind, her paws trembling. Her hair, usually groomed and stylish, was disheveled and messy.

"W-welcome to the C-Cat's Cradle, a chain of p-p-purrfectly p-purremium inns," she rehearsed in a stammer, her gaze glued to the ground. "P-please enjoy your p-purrsonal stay here in Rrrr-Ring Rong Rell, f-free of charge!" She dipped her head to the travelers and dived back behind the counter.

"_That's_ the inkeeper?" Alexa wondered.

"Oi, grimalkin!" Tiny demanded, hopping off Alexa and atop the counter. "What's wrong with you, lass? You're shaking like a Hog-Goblin in a pork roast!"

"It's this a-awful city!" she wailed, not coming back from her hiding place. "T-those rats won't let me leave! They come every night and demand I cook for them, then ravenously devour all my purrfectly purrpared food. Sometimes they even gnaw on the beds! Such _vile_ guests! At least the little one with the glasses has the currtesy to leave me tips."

"Wait, where are the others?" Alexa spoke up. "The other people, I mean. And the grimalkins."

"I'm not sure," the innkeeper replied hesitantly, rising back up from the counter. "Aside from that other boy, you are the furrst purrson I've seen in a long time. Many left when King Tom was arrested by the Order, but no one knows where they went. I hope they're safe; the outskurrts of this kingdom have had an outbreak of poisonous monsters lately. I assume it is due to all the pollution here."

"I see," Alexa mused. "Ok. Also, if you don't mind, we'd like to spend the night at your inn."

"I'm sorry it is in such a disurrray," she mewed apologetically. "Normally, the Cat's Cradle is among the finest line of inns in the land."

"It's alright," Alexa insisted. "Oh, but I do have a question."

"Yes?"

"Do you know anything about the giant pigeons that live around here?"

"Hm? Oh, surre," the grimalkin nodded quickly, composing herself. "I'd say it's propurr punishment for those nasty rats. The burrds showed up not too long after King Hickory took power. I'm not surre where they came from. They've been looking to feast on the mice, I believe. It's been causing quite an issue for the king."

"Heh, rats with pigeon problems, eh?" Tiny scoffed. "There's ironic. Hey, lickety-Lex, I'll bet if we tame one of those pigeons, we can demolish this entire place in a clock tick!"

"Oh, but please don't do that!" the grimalkin spoke up, shaking her head. "While it's true that I hate what this kingdom has become, I have not lost all hope...that is, I do believe the citizens of Ding Dong Dell are out there and safe, and that King Tom will return someday. Purrhaps it is a foolish thought, but since the fall of the Dark Djinn I've had much greater faith in the world."

"No, we won't destroy it," Alexa promised. She met the gaze of the grimalkin with determination. "But ma'am, I promise to do all I can to restore Ding Dong Dell. I'm not my father, but…but I'll try my best."

"Thank you, dear." The grimalkin just managed a smile. "Seeing children like you and that other boy, full of courage and tenacity, reminds me why I hold onto this hope. Please enjoy your stay…as best you can." She handed them a key to a room.

"We will. Thanks." Alexa and Tiny made their way up the stairs to the rooms.

"There's no shower here?" Alexa realized when they reached the row of rooms. "Great, I have to _sleep_ all grody, too." Tiny chose to ignore her, hopping inside the first room on the right.

"Well, it's not luxury," he observed. The beds had only thin sheets covering them, and true to the innkeeper's words, the two mattresses had a few places where the mice had nibbled on them. "But it'll just have to do for now, en' it?"

Once they got settled, Alexa changed into one of the sleeping gowns provided and climbed atop one of the worn-out mattresses. The bed was hard, and she could feel the springs digging into her back, but she'd just have to deal with it. After a few minutes of tossing and turning uncomfortably, she rolled onto her back, staring up at the wooded ceiling. Her mind swam with the turbulent events of the day. She wasn't sure how she'd ended up with a wand back at home, or why the sky pirate in Morriban had bothered helping her. Hopefully those were questions that would be answered with time.

But for now, she had a fairy traveling companion, a familiar she had yet to use, a wand, and a quest. And the quest was daunting, beating any long-winded essay she'd had to write for school. It made her head pound just to consider how much more she'd have to go through before her journey reached an end. In retrospect, getting shoved into a pile of garbage was only the beginning.

"Psst! Hey, lickety-Lex," Tiny whispered, interrupting her thoughts. "You still awake?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Just a little something I noticed," he started. "When you started this journey earlier today, you said it was to save your father."

"Yeah…" Alexa trailed, confused by what he was getting at.

"But a bit ago, when we were with the purrprietor, you promised to restore Ding Dong Dell. You could probably save your father _without_ helping out Ding Dong Dell, so the fact you offered was really admirable."

"Oh…" Alexa murmured, staring down at her hands. She hadn't thought much of the action at the time, but when she saw the desperation in the grimalkin's expression, it sparked determination deep within her.

"Well, I'm tucking in for the evening. We've got a big day ahead of us, after all. Tidy-night," Tiny announced with a yawn.

"Night," Alexa replied half-heartedly, rolling onto her side. Truthfully, there _was_ a part of her that wanted to help out this world…like her father had. It was hard to hear so many stories about it and not feel some sort of compassion for it.

_But I'm not the Savior,_ Alexa reminded herself. _That's dad. I'm just...me._ Realistically, her dad should be the one embarking on this journey, not her. Back in Motorville, many thought of her a lonely, friendless, loser of a teenager. And though Alexa would never admit it, the description was fully accurate. She wasn't at all special, like her dad. And as she drifted into an unsettled sleep, guilt swelled within her heart when she realized why she had been thrust into this mess to begin with.

_Dad can't help this world when they need him most, because he's been captured._

_And it's all my fault._


	8. His Mousejesty (Heart of Pride)

"_And you put this piston here…give this a toggle here…and voila! She's nearly done!" _

"_What about this, Uncle Phil?" the young raven-haired girl questioned, holding up a small metal tube._

_"That, miss Alexa, goes here," the spectacled man gently guided her hand to the spot on the automobile it fit into. The tube clicked into place, and Alexa beamed._

"_Is it ready for you to drive?" she asked eagerly._

"_I think so," Philip replied, patting the hood. "What do you say, should we take her for a spin?" He glanced to Alexa's dad, wordlessly asking for his permission. Oliver nodded with a smile. _

"_Yes, please!" Alexa piped up. Philip laughed at her enthusiasm, affectionately ruffling her hair._

"_Alrighty then, hop in the back and we'll head out!" Alexa skipped over to the back door and climbed in. _

"_Thanks for being so patient, Phil," Oliver added as his friend grabbed a set of car keys. "Alexa practically dragged me out here this morning just to come ride in one of your new cars. I'm sorry if we're delaying any of your new projects."_

"_You're sorry?! The pleasure is all mine!" Philip insisted. "I don't have kiddos of my own, so spending time with Alexa is as much a treat for me as it is for her. Don't apologize, dumb-dumb!" He gave his friend a light knock on the head and a grin, and Oliver couldn't help but smile back._

"_C'mon, Uncle Phil!" Alexa's voice piped up from the back seat of the car._

"_Guess we shouldn't keep her waiting. See you in a bit, Ollie!" Philip waved as he got into the driver's seat. Oliver stepped out of the way as Philip revved up the engine. _

"_Bye, daddy!" Alexa shouted, sticking her head out the window as the car began moving._

"_Bye, Lexi!" Oliver called back, watching his best friend and daughter glide out of the garage and head towards the wide streets of Motorville._

"Mmm…" Alexa groaned, shifting uncomfortably in the bed. She unconsciously grabbed for her plush Mr. Drippy.

"Ouch! Knickers, l-lemme go!" a high-pitched voice called in alarm.

"Mr. Drippy's…talking?" she thought in confusion, rolling out her side and opening her eyes. She jolted back at the sight of a much different, smaller fairy squirming in her grasp, and quickly released him.

"Oh, thank flip!" the fairy sighed, repositioning his antennae before glaring at her. "You nearly strangled me, lickety-Lex!"

"S-sorry…Tiny?" she asked in a daze, the events of the previous day rushing back to her.

"Ah good, you remember my name. I know we fairies look similar and all, but see, I only _wish_ I looked like Lord Drippy." Alexa rubbed her eyes and sat up. The foreign room was dark and cold, and her back ached from the bedsprings that had dug into her spine throughout her uncomfortable sleep.

"Well, glad to see you're awake now. I had just hopped up to wake you before I was nearly cuddled to death. S'pose you should get all ready." Alexa forced herself out of bed and changed back into her tunic and boots. They were still littered with pieces of garbage, and held a distinctly pungent aroma. Tiny clambered up onto his perch on her shoulder.

"C-crikey…" he sputtered almost immediately. "No offense, but the odor coming off you is worse than a wet Ruffian."

"Well, I'm not going out there in pajamas," Alexa quickly retorted. "And the moment I get that stupid stone, I'm finding clean water and rinsing off."

"Guess I'll just have to hold my breath when I'm up here, then," Tiny resolved as they descended down the flight of stairs to the main entrance of the inn.

"Good morning," the purrprietor greeted them when they reached the last few steps. She was looking a bit better now; it was clear she'd given herself a grooming after Alexa's arrival. "I hope you had a nice rest! I purrpared breakfast for the two of you." She gestured to the table up against the side of the room, where an assortment of pastries and fruit had been laid out. "It's not much, I know, but it's the best I can offer."

"No issues here, ma'am. I'm so flippin' starving I could eat a Psychophant!" Tiny slid down Alexa's arm and hopped onto the table, grabbing a pastry with his straight antenna and stuffing it into his mouth. Alexa sat at one of the chairs, hesitantly drawing what appeared to be a piece of unusual-looking pie and a fork towards her placemat. She ate a forkful of it, pleasantly surprised by its sweet, buttery flavor.

"If you don't finish anything, feel free to feed it to your familiars," the innkeeper told them while they continued eating. "A lot of this food, like that Sweetie Pie you're eating, can be used as treats for them." At her words, Alexa's chest began to glow and Eve emerged from the light, landing gracefully on the inn floor. She sniffed the air and turned her head towards the breakfast table. She eyed a slice of cake, than looked to Alexa expectantly.

"Ah! You do have a familiar!" The innkeeper smiled at the pet. "And a very cute one, at that. Arcana, I purrsume? From my knowledge, they are a purrticular fan of cakes."

"Cakes, huh?" Alexa glanced at the piece her companion was looking at. She took the plate off the table and placed the plate on the floor. "It's all yours," Alexa told her familiar. The winged cat gave a grateful mew and eagerly nibbled on the cake. When she finished, she fluffed out her wings and purred in satisfaction.

"From what I can see, your familiar is still relatively low in level," the innkeeper observed. "If you're going adventuring, you'd do well with putting some equipment on it."

"That's all good and true," Tiny answered around a mouthful of pastry. "But we don't have any money yet, see? We're just starting out, after all."

"I understand," the innkeeper nodded. "Ok. I'm going to go retrieve something for you. Please enjoy the rest of your meal." She bowed her head, leaving the three to finish their breakfast.

"Alright, that'll be all for me," Tiny announced, shaking crumbs off his antenna. "Nothing beats seafood, of course, but these sweets weren't half bad." Alexa polished off the remainder of her pie and gave a stretch, feeling slightly more energized despite her lack of sleep.

"What exactly are we doing today, anyway?" Alexa asked her fairy friend. "I mean, how do we get in to see King Hickory?"

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," Tiny admitted. "The guard mentioned something about permission to see king mouseface. Problem is, we don't actually know anyone from this garbage dump." Alexa thought about this. It was true that everyone in the kingdom was a complete stranger to her. In fact, she was secretly impatient to reach Al Mamoon just so she could meet up with Esther, her dad's old traveling companion. Tiny's company _did_ make her journey a bit less lonely, but Alexa wanted a human ally more than anything else.

"It's really too bad you can't cast Gateway," the fairy mused. "Then, maybe you could find the soul mate of some mouse here, befriend them, and get them to take you to the king. At least, that's what Lord Drippy did with his human."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about soul mates," Alexa muttered. "Dad solved a bunch of problems by finding the soul mate of someone in this world back in ours. I-I mean, that's what he told me in his stories, phony or not."

"But it's not helpful now, en' it?" Tiny shook his head in frustration. "Knickers, if those blasted Zoorians hadn't sauntered into our world…"

"H-hold on!" Alexa suddenly realized, thinking back to the day before. "I _do _know someone from Ding Dong Well!"

"You do?" Tiny asked curiously. "How? You're as much of an alien to this world as the Zoorians, and judging by your interaction with pirate boy, you're not exactly a socialite."

"I mean, he doesn't know me, but I know _him_," Alexa went on. "I saw him yesterday, in fact. If we can just find-"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I have something to give you before you two head out," the innkeeper spoke up. She clutched a leather satchel tightly in her paws. "I thought this might be useful," she mewed, holding out the satchel. "A little something to keep your supplies in."

"O-oh, t-thank you!" Alexa took the bag gratefully and set it on the table. She'd been keeping her spells and her Warp Stone in the folds and pockets of her tunic, but she knew she'd run out of space pretty quick.

"Take a look inside," the innkeeper added with a smile. "I suppose it's also a care package. Hopefully the items I've put in there can be of use to you." Alexa opened up the satchel, surprised to see it was already carrying a few objects despite its light weight.

"Tidy! Thanks, ma'am! Let's see what kinda goodies we got!" Tiny spoke up, beginning to rummage through the satchel. "Lemme see here…five loaves of White Bread, two thermoses of Iced Coffee…ooh! Check it out, lickety-Lex!" He pulled out a pair of what appeared to be wooden claws, and a set of fangs stringed together. "Some Woodland Claws and a set of Beast Fangs. These'll be perfect for your ol' familiar!"

"I figured equipment might do your pet some good," the innkeeper explained, taking the items from Tiny and equipping Eve with them. The Auroroalynx flexed her wings at the strength that surged within her upon being armed. She gave Alexa a determined look before turning back into light and retreating into her chest. "While it's true that it is very low in level, the equipment will make your coming battles much more reasonable, at least until the familiar learns magic attacks."

"G-geez, thank you so much!" Alexa exclaimed, pleasantly surprised at the purrprietor's abundant generosity.

"It's nothing, truly. All the storekeepurrs left this kingdom after King Tom's arrest, so they gave me a lot of their stock. The Cawmaster, owner of the weaponry, gave me the equipment. The owner of the Hootique item shop gave me the purrvisions, and so on."

"And what's this, ma'am?" Tiny held up a small blue sack.

"Oh, those are some guilders," she told him. "1000 of them, to be purrcise."

"W-wait!" Alexa protested, flustered by all the gifts and temporarily forgetting her manners. "Thanks for the items, but there's no way in _hell_ I can take your money, too!"

"I only ask you pay me back the next time you return here," the innkeeper explained. "So please don't see it as taking my money. You are borrowing it."

"A-ah, got it," Oliver's daughter muttered sheepishly, embarrassed by her assumption. Regardless, the innkeeper had already given her more than she expected. The people—well, the cat people—in this world sure were generous.

"Ta, catface, we'll be on our way," Tiny spoke up, hopping up to Alexa's shoulder. "The morning's young, and we still have some things to puzzle through."

"Of course." The innkeeper bowed her head as Alexa got up and slung the satchel over her shoulder. "I thank you for your time spent here. Purrhaps it was only a night, but I have high hopes for your future successes. I wish you the best on your journey, and whatever goals you may be trying to achieve."

"I'll try my best," Alexa promised, giving the innkeeper a assertive nod.

"You know, it's funny," the innkeeper murmured as she opened the inn door for the two. "You remind me an awful lot of a boy who visited here many years ago. Similar expression, I'd said. Eye color, too." She shrugged. "But, purrhaps it's just a trick of the light. I bid you farewell."

Alexa stepped through the door and out into the city. The stench was pretty similar to her tunic-and probably hair-so it didn't bother her as much as it had when she first entered the kingdom. However, no sooner had she descended from the inn steps that she heard the flap of wings and a familiar croon from somewhere above her.

"Kn-knickers!" Tiny yelped as another large pigeon glided across the front of the kingdom, casting the two adventurers in a temporary shadow. From the kingdom courtyard, Alexa could hear frantic squeaking.

"Flippin' heck…" Tiny muttered. "I almost feel bad for the little rotters. These birds won't give them a break, huh?"

"Seriously…" Alexa muttered. _I hope Uncle Phil is ok…_

"Oh, lickety-Lex, you mentioned you knew someone from these parts?" Tiny reminded her on cue as she began heading down the path to the courtyard.

"Yeah. His name is Pip," Alexa explained, racking her brain for details of her dad's adventure. "He's the soul mate of my Uncle Philip. He had lacked ambition, but when Dad beat the Nightmare out of Uncle Phil, they both were healed. If I tell him who I am, maybe he'll be willing to help us!"

"That all sounds good and peachy," Tiny agreed. "But, there's a problem I think we have to take into account."

"Problem?" Alexa echoed as she continued down the path.

"Yeah. See, aside from the pigeon issue, the mice here seem generally happy, don't they?" Alexa glanced around at where Tiny was gesturing, watching the citizens of the kingdom were scurrying about or talking and laughing in small groups. "If we tell them our…motives, of ridding this world of the Order and restoring Ding Dong Dell, they might not want to help out. It's thanks to the Order that they own this trash pile in the first place, en' it?"

"Dammit, you're right…" Alexa realized, biting her lip in frustration. She wanted to think Pip would help her out at all costs, since she was so close to Uncle Philip in her world, but the kingdom was probably just as heavenly to him as it was to the other mice. "Ok, we'll just have to make up some bogue reason. We can keep parts of the truth, like looking for my dad, but we won't mention the Order."

"There's using your head," Tiny approved. "If he knows the Savior as well as you claim, he'll certainly want to help in the search. Any idea where to find him?"

"Y-yes! T-that's him!" Alexa stopped in her tracks when she noticed the spectacled mouse in front of her. He was cradling a cheese wedge in his paws, scampering along the path at a rapid pace.

"Well, don't just stand her gawking, lickety-Lex! Follow him!" Alexa quickly resumed her pace, picking up to a jog when she saw the courtyard coming closer.

"U-um, excuse me!" she called desperately. Pip stopped for a moment, one ear turned to the side.

"Excuse me, sir!" she repeated, and the mouse turned to face her.

"What's your blinking problem? Can't you see I need to deliver this before the next pigeon shows…oh, it's _you_," he squeaked, eyeing her tall form suspiciously. "Why are you and your big feet even here, dumb-dumb? It's pretty rare for clumsy humans like you to visit this kingdom. Most can't handle the smell." He looked her up and down, then gave a smirk. "Then again, I see you've made the rounds. Grow some ears and a tail and you'll fit right in!"

Alexa subconsciously pulled her dirty tunic closer around her, biting back an insult. If she were mean to him now, she'd ruin her chance of getting into the palace.

"I…I wanted to know if you could help me," she told him instead.

"With what?" he questioned, his skepticism heavy in his voice. Alexa took a breath.

"I need to see King Hickory."

Pip stared at her for a moment, than broke into chuckles.

"Oh, I get it," he laughed. "I'll bet the others just pawned you off to me, huh? I mean, it makes sense, considering I'm his first-hand mouse and all."

"Wait, you're his _what_?" Alexa's eyes widened.

"The king's number one servant," Pip told her proudly, puffing out his tiny chest. "That also makes me second in command of this kingdom. I do a lot of the heavy lifting, like cheese delivery, but in exchange I get to live in that beautifully dirty palace. Not that that's any of your blinking business." Alexa wasn't sure is she was extremely lucky or extremely doomed. She considered her next words carefully, knowing they would determine her chance of ever leaving this kingdom with a Guide Stone.

"The other mice didn't pawn me off to you," Alexa started. "I-I mean…I want your help because I know you. A-at least, my dad does. I'm Alexa, and my dad's name is Oliver."

"Oliver?" Pip repeated. "Now where have I…sq-squeeeak!" He dropped his cheese wedge in alarm. "Do you mean the Savior Oliver?!"

"The one and only!" Tiny quipped. "You're speaking to his blood-bound child. No offense to your king, but I think lickety-Lex here has a far more prestigious heritage."

"Now wait just a clock tick," Pip spoke up, composing himself. "A random human stumbles into our kingdom and claims to be the Savior's child?" He flicked his tail indifferently. "Heh, likely story! The Savior left us for his own world long ago, and hasn't been back in years. I'll admit you caught me off guard, but-"

"She's not lying, mouseface!" Tiny interrupted. "It's true his Saviourness was on a prolonged absence, but I hardly think he'd just forgot about our world!" Alexa shifted on her feet awkwardly. Her dad was probably on a 'prolonged absence' from this world because he was raising her. Guilt from the night before slowly crept back into her chest.

"Besides, mun, you can't just make this stuff up on a whim!"

"Why not?" Pip retorted. "I've seen humans desperate enough to resort to thievery, much less a little lie." The mouse's gaze suddenly dropped. "Not that I myself am above stealing, but I'd like to think I've turned over a new leaf." Alexa snapped out of her daze, his words reminding her of a story detail she'd almost forgotten.

"Wait, Pip," she spoke up over their banter. "I have a question."

"H-how do you know my name?" the mouse stammered, but Alexa ignored him.

"Did you ever make your Cloud Sweeper?" she asked him.

"Huh? Cloud Sweeper?!" Pip squeaked in surprise, readjusting his glasses.

"I'm talking about your dream," she went on, channeling her 'inner Oliver' and giving the mouse the kindest smile she could muster. "It was to make a Cloud Sweeper, right? Did you achieve your dream, Pip?"

"How do you know about that?!" the spectacled mouse demanded.

"Dad told me." Alexa met his gaze, hoping her vague memories of her dad's stories would be enough.

"She's not bluffing, mun," Tiny added. "I know it sounds wonky, but lickety-Lex really _is_ the daughter of his Saviourness. Can't you at least see the resemblance? I recognized that face the moment I laid eyes on her!"

"I…I suppose," Pip mused, eyeing her carefully through his glasses, "I mean, it does kinda feel like I know you from somewhere…"

"So you'll help?" Alexa questioned hopefully.

"…Fine," Pip nodded after a moment. "To answer your question, yes, I did build my Cloud Sweeper. And it's all thanks to Oliver…so I'll guess I'll help his kid out. I at least owe him that."

"Thank you so much!" Alexa exclaimed, bowing her head to the mouse gratefully.

"Sure," Pip muttered. "But what do you need help with, anyway? Futhermore, what is the Savior's child doing in a dump like this?"

"I need something from King Hickory," Alexa explained carefully, remembering Tiny's warning. "I need to get a Guide Stone from him."

"A Guide Stone, huh?" Tiny repeated. "Yeah, His Mousejesty's got a couple of those. What d'you need it for?"

"We're trying to get to Al Mamoon," Tiny spoke for Alexa. "Lickety-Lex here is actually on a journey of her own. His Saviourness did pay us a visit in late, but seems to have disappeared, see, and some say he might be held up in Al Mamoon." It was somewhat convincing, but if Pip asked about the Order, they were done for.

"Got it." To their relief, Pip bought their answer. "I don't know much about the happenings beyond this kingdom, but I'll lend you a paw." Pip began pacing, his whiskers twitching as he hummed in thought. "Trouble is, His Mousejesty loves to hoard. He doesn't let go of possessions easily. And he's got everything he could possibly want without King Tom around, so offering gifts is pretty useless." The mouse glanced to the sky for a moment. "Although …there is one thing he's in _desperate_ need of. In fact, his need for it has been putting him in quite a bad mood recently."

"What?" Alexa asked, desperation clear in her voice. Pip stopped his pacing, examining her carefully.

"If you're Oliver's kid, that means you're a wizard, right?"

"O-oh, I guess," Alexa answered awkwardly. She shuddered at the memory of the Scruffian the day before, and her haphazard attempt at dueling with it.

"In training," Tiny added for her. "But she's brimming with potential."

"That should be fine," Pip squeaked in satisfaction. "I know just your selling point. I'll bet his Mousejesty would give you quite a _few_ Guide Stones if you can pull it off." He eyed the motley crew in front of him again. "But you two have to promise me something before we enter the palace."

"Tidy; I'm pretty good at keeping promises," Tiny assured. "What's the deal, mouseface?"

"When I tell King Hickory why I've brought you, you must go along with it, even if you don't want to do it." Alexa stiffened at this. _Why wouldn't I want to do it?_

"Why not tell us now?" Tiny asked skeptically. "Lickety-Lex's job, I mean."

"Because you'll probably say no, and then I won't be able to help you. If I keep you in the dark, at least I won't have to worry about you two chickening out halfway through and making me look foolish in front of His Mousejesty." Alexa wished the mouse would tell them his plan, but her desire for a Guide Stone trumped her concern.

"Fine," she agreed, pushing aside her worry. "I'll go with your plan. Just…just take me to the palace."

"Great!" Pip nodded, beaming. He turned back to the courtyard in front of them. "Alrighty then, I'll tell the guards you have my permission to enter, and then present you to the king. And I'll deliver this cheese to him first: His Mousejesty will be in a much better mood if he has a full belly." He grabbed the abandoned cheese wedge beside him and scampered off through the courtyard.

"Just _what _did you get us into, lickety-Lex?" Tiny whispered once Pip was out of earshot. "I mean, mouseface is nice and all, but I have a proper bad feeling about this 'plan' of his…"

"I need to get a Guide Stone," Alexa replied firmly, trying to ignore the tremor in her voice. "We don't have time to wait. We need to get to Al Mamoon—or whatever it's called under the Order—as soon as possible."

"All clear!" Pip squeaked from the center of the courtyard, waving for them to follow him. Alexa took a deep breath before wading back into the sea of garbage, passing the vandalized cat statue and making it to where the guard mice stood.

"_This_ is the human you were telling us about?" one of the guards squeaked in confusion. "You sure she can handle it? From what I saw the last time she was here, she's pretty delicate."

"I have no doubts," Pip replied confidently. "Now, let us in before those blasted pigeons pay us another visit." The mouse didn't look convinced, but dipped his head respectively to Pip nonetheless.

"Crikey, I'm not liking this one bit…" Tiny muttered half-heartedly. Alexa followed Uncle Phil's soul mate down the trashy path to the palace door.

"Remember, just play along with it," Pip reminded them quietly, as the guard mice scampered up beside them. Alexa's nerves got the better of her as they pulled open the huge palace doors, and she started to tremble, suddenly regretting her decision. But there was no time for second chances, as the guard mice practically shoved her inside after Pip.

In elementary school, one of Alexa's classmates had a pet mouse they'd brought for "show and tell". The cage the mouse had been kept in was dirty, filled with shavings, newspaper clippings, and scraps of food.

The Ring Rong Rell palace room was like standing inside that cage. Sawdust, spoiling food, and massive mounds of trash filled every corner of the room. Piles of cheese wheels were also stacked in various locations. The pools of water on either side of the throne pathway were filled with mossy, swampy water. And lounging on the throne at the front of the room was the largest mouse she'd ever seen.

"F-flippin' heck, that rat is _huge_!" Tiny gasped quietly from Alexa's shoulder, voicing her thoughts. The king, roughly as tall as a school bus, had dark purple fur and a large scar on his nose. He was dressed in layers of robes, with a small crown perched atop his head and some type of scepter in his lap. Beside them, Pip immediately fell into a bow. Tiny gave Alexa a prod with his straight antenna.

"On your knees," he whispered. "Rodent or not, that rotter's still considered royalty." Alexa quickly knelt beside Pip.

"Your Mousejesty," Pip addressed his king. "I've returned. I hope your ratness is doing well today."

"Do you have my cheese, pipsqueak?" the king asked in a nasally voice, ignoring the greeting and scratching the back of his ear lazily. Alexa couldn't tell if he had even noticed her presence.

"I do, King Hickory." Pip scurried over to the base of the throne and held up the cheese to him. King Hickory snatched the treat, giving it a sniff.

"Autumnian brie, aged 30 years," he determined. He stuck a paw into it, scooping out the cheesy goo from the rind and stuffing it into his mouth. "Impressive find, pipsqueak. I thought that fat cow had finished off the last of this variety back when she was cheese hoarding. Remind me to have your nest filled with extra sawdust tonight." He hollowed out the wedge and tossed the remaining rind into one of the many garbage piles.

"Thank you, your Mousejesty, but that's not all I've brought you." Pip started, giving Alexa a sideways glance. "I have another gift. I've found something Your Mousejesty has wanted for a long time now."

"Hm?" the mouse king hummed, wiping his cheese-covered paws on his robes. "And just what might that be? I've got everything I could possibly want…unless it's that old tomfool in custody, because I'd _love _to see him grovel at my paws!"

"No, it's not," Pip answered. The king shifted in his throne, scanning to the area in front of him and noticing Alexa.

"Who's that squeakling?" he asked in a bored tone.

"She's your gift!" Pip explained.

"What is mouseface going on about…?" Tiny whispered to Alexa, but she didn't dare speak. Pip scurried over to her, gesturing proudly to her kneeling form.

"This here is the great wizard Alexa; professional pigeon-exterminating _extraordinaire_!"


	9. Rellian Rooftops (Heart of Ambition)

"This here is the great wizard Alexa; professional pigeon-exterminating _extraordinaire_!"

Alexa's head shot up in alarm, but Tiny covered her mouth with one of his antenna before she could protest.

"_That _little runt is a wizard?" King Hickory burst into squeaky laughter. "You've got to be joking!" Alexa winced at this. She knew she wasn't exactly _strong_, but hearing it from a figure of authority made it sting.

"We're not jesting you, your kinglyness!" Tiny piped up. "She's got a wand and a familiar and everything! And when it comes to pigeons, she sends them barreling for the Summerlands!"

"Oh, really?" the king snorted in amusement.

"Yeah," Alexa spoke up, peeling Tiny's antenna off of her and mustering up courage. "And in return for my work, I'd like a-"

"Shut it, squeakling. Let me get a look at your pitiful form before I make any decisions." The king sat himself up, gave a brief stretch, and jumped from his throne. Alexa barely had time to move before he landed a few inches from her face with a loud _thud_. Alexa's previous confidence vanished like a candle in a windstorm. For a terrified moment, she thought she might have to battle him like her dad had.

"So you claim you're a pigeon exterminator, do'ya?" he asked skeptically, leaning in so his nose almost touched Alexa's.

"Y-yes, your M-Mousejesty," Alexa managed. The oversized rat paced around her, eyeing her form and sniffing at her tunic, hair, and boots. Alexa held her breath the entire time, trying not to fall into a panic.

"A bit short for a wizard," the king determined after his examination. "Though she's got a scent to her I don't like…brings back bad memories." He shook his head to clear it. Alexa flinched when he stuck his brie-covered paws in her satchel and pulled out her wand. He eyed the stick carefully, than bit down on it with his teeth.

"Oi, mun, don't do that!" Tiny protested in alarm, but the wand remained intact.

"It's not snapping," King Hickory determined after a moment. "This is an authentic wand, if I ever saw one." He shoved the wand back into her hands, and turned away from her.

"Grody…" Alexa muttered with a grimace, her coveted weapon now dripping cheesy goop. She hesitantly tucked it back into her satchel.

"The squeakling's magical, I'll give her that," he announced, climbing back to his throne. He sat forward with crossed arms and a flicking tail. "If she's really a pigeon exterminator…I can easily put her to work."

"I-I'm sorry, your Mousejesty." Alexa raised her voice again, becoming impatient. "But…but I don't work for free. I want-"

"Drat," King Hickory interrupted her, visibly disappointed. "I thought my servant would at least have you under some sort of blackmail." Alexa balled her fist, trying to contain her growing temper. She wanted to tell him her intention for a Guide Stone, but the mouse seemed completely uninterested in her thoughts. "But very well; let's make a deal, squeakling. I can offer you an old Ding Dong Dellian newspapers, some cheese rind, and a babana peel."

"Crikey, are you mad, mun?!" Tiny blurted out. "Alexa's no ordinary exterminator! She beats up _giant_ pigeons. Like proper massive ones! She's gonna want a bit more than a few trash pieces for that."

"Sure, sure," King Hickory nodded. "How about…I double the offer. Two of each thing I offered previously."

"Duw, how is that any flippin' better?! Trash is trash, your kinglyness! We don't just-"

"That's my final offer," the king replied nonchalantly. "Take it or leave it, squeakling."

At this, Alexa's waning control over her rage snapped.

"Are you _wacked_?" In her fit of anger, she temporarily forgot she was in the presence of royalty. "We're talking _mutant_ pigeons, you overgrown rat! Do you think I'm just doing this for kicks? Hell, if you're not willing to offer me one stupid Guide Stone, I will happily leave this garbage pile of a kingdom and leave _you_ to deal with your issues!"

"F-flippin' heck, lickety-Lex…" Tiny muttered from her shoulder in shock. She glanced over to see Pip staring at her in horror. She immediately bit her tongue, regretting every word. She didn't dare look at the king.

_Oh god, I really screwed up. Now I'm probably going to have to battle him…_

"Well, I see the squeakling's got a temper to her!" King Hickory commented.

"Good job, lickety-Lex; we're really in for it now!" Tiny scolded in a harsh whisper. Alexa bowed her head further, face hot.

"I-I'm sorry, your Mousejesty," she started. "I just-"

"…I like that." His words made both her and Tiny look up in alarm. King Hickory was smiling, eyes glittering with interest. "She's got just the steely nerve needed for a tough job like this. Quite impressive. I can see now she's not messing around." He nodded to the spectacled mouse beside her.

"Well done. You found just the girl we need."

"Of course, your Mousejesty. You deserve only the best." Pip dipped his head, shooting Alexa a grin and wink. Alexa stared at him with a mix of shock and relief as the king cleared his throat.

"And yes, you can have the dumb old rock in exchange for your work. But only _after _you complete your task. As for the details …" King Hickory titled his head to look out one of the palace windows. "When the fat cat was in power, the kingdom never had an oversized bird problem. Of course that tomfool left me to deal with the pests. I'm not even sure where they came from, but they've been an awful nuisance for me and my poor subjects." His eyes narrowed. "There is a particularly large one…their queen, I presume, who lays eggs on _my_ palace roof and tries to feed _my_ subjects to her spawn. You'll know her when you see her, because she's got a burn mark on her right wing, leftover from when I tried to take her on myself. But she left me nearly as bruised up as a wizard I fought years ago." He looked back to Alexa. "_That_ is the one I want exterminated."

"Got it," Alexa nodded, straightening up. She had no idea how she would be taking on the huge pigeon, but she pushed the concern aside. "Where do I have to go?" He gestured upwards with his snout.

"Top of the palace roof. That's where her nest is. It's a bit of a climb, but I'm betting you can handle it."

_Seriously? _Alexa gulped at the description. Going up to the roof would certainly involve heights. Lots of them. And she'd take piles of molding debris over a long drop any day.

"Will do, your royal mouseness!" Tiny assured. "Consider that ol' winged beastie as good as exterminated!"

"Pipsqueak, mind showing these two the way?"

"Yes, your Mousejesty. Come on, you lot!" Pip headed back towards the palace entrance, gesturing for them to follow.

"R-right." Alexa turned back to the king for a moment and dipped her head. "Thank you, your Mousejesty." The king just stared at her, and for moment Alexa thought she could detect some form of admiration in his narrow eyes, before he averted his gaze.

"Good luck," he muttered offhandedly. Alexa smiled a bit before turning back and following Pip back out the palace doors.

"That was flippin' incredible!" Tiny exclaimed once they were back in the courtyard. "Proper amazing of you, lickety-Lex! Did you see this lass' quick tongue, mouseface? Your ol' rotter of a king was left speechless!"

"It was pretty impressive," Pip nodded, grinning. "I'll bet King Hickory was testing your will, and when you snapped at him he realized you were serious and you earned his respect. I can see why you're the Savior's child now. You're a bit more…bold than he was, mind you, but it seems to play to your advantage."

"T-thanks," Alexa mumbled, not used to so much attention. "So, uh…what are we supposed to be doing again?"

"I have to take you two to the palace roof," Pip explained. "We can use my Cloud Sweeper."

"Tidy, this shouldn't be so bad!" Tiny added hopefully. "We kick out the mam pigeon, grab our Guide Stone, and set out for the desert!"

"You two wait here; I'll go grab the sweeper." Pip scurried off, leaving Alexa alone in the courtyard. She glanced upwards, seeing the silhouette of a pigeon circling the courtyard high up in the distance.

"Bet that's her," Tiny muttered. "The moment we get up there, we'll put that beastie in her place!"

"About that…" Alexa started, fidgeting nervously. "Tiny, there's something I should probably tell you…"

"Hm?" The fairy titled his head. "I'm all ears, lickety-Lex."

"I-it's about heights. I'm not really-"

"Oi!" Pip's squeaky voice from above them interrupted Alexa's confession. Alexa squinted at the device he was controlling. It was some kind of hover vehicle, its structure vaguely resembling the half-completed cars she used to help Uncle Phil build. "Let's not waste any time down here. Up we go!" He lowered the vehicle down to their level. Alexa hesitated. She felt Tiny give her a knock on the head.

"Hello, is lickety-Lex in there?" he inquired. "Why are you just standin' and the like? Get on!" She glanced around, noticing the curious gazes of the other mice in the courtyard on her. She swallowed harshly.

"R-right." She'd just have to close her eyes on the way up. Once they were on the roof, she'd focus on not looking down. With such a big palace to cover, it wouldn't be too hard. _I hope…_

She clambered up behind Pip, securing her grip on the seat. The sweeper hovered upward effortlessly. From below, the mice watched curiously. Alexa kept her eyes tightly shut.

"We're here," Pip's squeaked after what felt like an agonizing stretch of time. "We're at the base of the roof. This is as far as I can take you without attracting the attention of the pigeons. The nest is way up at the top, so you'll have to climb."

"Ta, thanks for the lift, mouseface." Tiny said, jumping off Alexa's shoulder onto the roof. Alexa cautiously opened her eyes. The rooftops were pretty huge, and luckily, she couldn't see the kingdom below.

"Be careful," Pip warned them. "A lot of the smaller pigeons roam the area here, and they aren't the friendly sort. You might have to fight them."

"No trouble, we can get in some practice before taking on the big one!" Tiny determined. "Get your wand out, lickety-Lex, this is going to be a rough ascent."

"Good luck!" Pip gave them a wave before flying up and diving off the side of the roof, leaving the two with no direction to go but upwards.

"It's pretty high up there, huh?" Alexa mused, staring up at the distant nest looming above layers of red-tiled roof.

"It is, en' it?' Well, we'll just have to keep on our toes. O-oi, look out, lickety-Lex!" Alexa quickly looked back down to see a pigeon in front of her. It faced her, its feather fluffed out. It crooned loudly. Without missing a beat, Alexa pulled out her wand.

"Stand back, Tiny," she instructed her fairy friend, pointing the stick at the pigeon. But despite having a relatively weak enemy, her hand was trembling.

_Fireball. _She traced the spell in a quick, fluid motion, pushing aside her fear. The orb of fire hit the pigeon effortlessly. For good measure, Alexa cast a second one. She blinked in surprise as she watched the pigeon give a distressed squawk and flutter off. In its place were a few small orbs of green and blue light.

"That…was it?" she asked, breaking into a small grin.

"Nice work." Tiny nodded in satisfaction. "It was pretty low level in comparison to the Scruffian, mind, but I'll bet you got some good experience points from it. Oh, and see those shinies over there? Go pick them up."

"Ok…" Alexa went to collect them, but the moment they came into contact with her skin, they disappeared. She felt a burst of energy surge through her from the hand that had touch the balls of light, and stumbled back in surprise.

"Those are glims," her fairy companion explained. "They restore health points and mana. Proper useful in the heat of combat, especially if you don't have the time to down some bread or chug some coffee."

"Got it." Alexa nodded. Her dad had never mentioned glims, but she was sure he had used them in his fights, too. The pair continued forward, Alexa keeping her gaze firmly focused on the roof tiles and not on the drop below them.

They managed to climb up to the second layer of tiling, when a pair of pigeons fluttered down in front of her.

"Hey lickety-Lex," Tiny whispered. "Why not send out your familiar for this one? You know, test out 'er fighting ability."

"Sure," Alexa nodded, retracting her wand. She felt her chest heating up, and Eve lept from the yellow light, landing smoothly on the roof tile. The Auroralynx positioned herself on the tiles, eyes fixed on the pigeons.

"Ok, Eve, try a physical attack!" Alexa instructed. The cat surged forward, raking at the first pigeon with a swift paw. The attached claws delivered a blow to the pigeon's chest, and it fell back with a loud croon. Eve shifted her attacking to the other one, but the pigeon was a bit faster and managed to give the familiar a sharp peck on the head. The startled Auroralynx lost her footing and tumbled down a few of the roof tiles.

"Truthfully, Eve isn't the best at combat," Tiny called to Alexa. "She can deliver a hit, but I'm betting she'll be better off with healing until she learns a magical attack 'er two."

"I guess you're right," Alexa muttered, watching as Eve clambered back up onto her paws and shook herself off. She let the cat familiar knock out the first pigeon with another swipe, and called her back to finish off the second with a fireball. Alexa raced to collect a few of the green and blue glims before they faded.

"Y' know, I've been wondering...have you actually given thought to how y'er going to defeat the giant one?" Tiny questioned when Alexa returned to his side. She snorted at this.

"Nope," she admitted bluntly, hoping her indifference would hide her nerves. Truthfully, Alexa was terrified of taking on the Queen Pigeon. She worried that her lone Fireball spell and Eve weren't strong enough to even inflict a scratch. But she knew she didn't have much choice. If she were to give up now, she wouldn't get her Guide Stone.

_And then I'd never see dad again._

The two pushed on across the second layer of tiles, the top where her final battle would take place slowly coming into view. She resolved to fight as many pigeons as she could on the lower levels of roof, so she could be at a reasonable level for the fight.

"Tidy," Tiny agreed when she explained her idea. "That sounds like a plan to me. 'Nothing wrong with a lil' level grinding between fights', as Lord Drippy used to say during the stories of his questing."

"Mr. Drippy would tell you stories, too?" Alexa asked.

"Yup. Those long ol' journeys he'd take with humans…we heard all about 'em! That fairy did crazy stuff, and the like. And he didn't just travel with the Savior! He was a buttie of the Great Sage Alicia, too."

_Alicia. _The grandma Alexa never knew. She was the reason why her dad had ventured to the Other World in the first place. According to her dad, her grandma had died to save him after an incident with a makeshift car. And later, her dad learned that her grandma had been from the Other World all along. Apparently, Alexa's name was a blend of her grandma's and a relative on her mom's side of the family named Alexander.

"H-hold up, lickety-Lex." Tiny suddenly whispered. There was odd urgency in his usually upbeat voice.

"H-huh?" She noticed the fairy standing completely still, as though frozen on the spot.

"Aw, knickers…don't move, ok?"

"Tiny, what's going-"

"Oi!" he suddenly called out to the empty sky around them. "Get on out here, you! Don't think I can't hear ya there, we fairies have acute hearing!" Alexa watched Tiny shout in confusion. She glanced around herself, but no one showed up

"I'm not liking this," Tiny muttered. "We're bein' watched, and not by those pigeons. Train yourself quick, lickety-Lex, I think we'd best trying to the top as soon as possible."

"O-ok," Alexa stammered, pulling out her wand for good measure. There didn't appear to be anyone around her, but she wanted to be ready if she were to be attacked.

Tiny claimed it wasn't the pigeons watching them. And though she tried to remain calm as she challenged another pigeon on the roof for training, she couldn't ignore the haunting suspicion that remained stubbornly at the back of her mind.

_They're onto me. The Order…they know who I am._

…..

The spectacled mouse landed his Cloud Sweeper back into the courtyard seamlessly.

"Well, this is working out much better than I imagined!" Pip squeaked allowed, climbing off and into the pile of trash below. The Ancients had surely been smiling upon him today. Not only did he find a way to repay Oliver, but he found just what his king had been searching for: a pigeon exterminator. He just hoped King Hickory's judgment of Alexa was correct. She seemed tough, but Pip had sensed her toughness was an exterior for something deeper.

"Hey, rodent!" a voice from behind him caught his attention. He turned.

"Oh, you're back?" he squeaked in surprise. "I thought you said you were done here."

"Well…not quite," the voice admitted. "Actually, do you think you could give me a ride up there?"

"To the rooftops?" Pip questioned, eyeing the source of the voice skeptically. "Firstly, can't you get up there by your blinking yourself? And secondly, why do you need to go there? Do you know Alexa?"

"We've conversed," the voice replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And no, I can't get up there myself. Look, I want to help her, ok? We have…similar goals. And I know she going to get her butt kicked if I'm not supervising. I know you don't like me all that much, but can you help me out just this once?" Pip considered this for a moment, looking the speaker up and down.

"Fine," the mouse sighed. He gestured to his sweeper. "Well, don't just stand there like an idiot. Get on."


	10. Boss: Queen Pigeon

Apologies for typos: I've been incredibly busy and as much as this story is a priority of mine, my time to write has been limited. But I promise to continue until the end, so thank you for your patience! Also, reviews are motivational boosts (aren't they for everyone?) so please don't be shy in offering me your comments/praise/constructive criticism!

...

Alexa watched in wane satisfaction as the last pigeon of a group flew off. Although she hadn't been keeping track, she did feel significantly stronger than when she first emerged on the rooftops. But she also felt incredibly exhausted, having taken quite a few pecks between hits.

"You en't looking that dapper, lickety-Lex," Tiny noticed as she caught her breath. "Your health points have certainly seen better days."

"Should I take out the White Bread?" Alexa breathed. She'd already used up Eve's Healing Touch during battles, so her MP was lacking, too.

"Actually, no need!" Tiny's eyes lit up, staring at something above her. Alexa weakly glanced upwards. She'd come quite far up the rooftops in her training, and now stood directly underneath the wide pillar where the nest was located. At the base of the pillar were a series of rungs leading to the top. And about half way up was a small outcropping, where a glowing blue stone was erected.

"A waystone!" Tiny exclaimed. "Thank the flippin' Ancients! And I was thinking we'd _never_ see one of 'em!"

"A waystone?" Alexa echoed.

"A useful little marker that completely restores your HP and MP," Tiny said. "They're also proper useful for teleportation. That is, if you were to get defeated, you'd wake up back at the last waystone you were at. They en't that great at supply and money retention, though, so you might lose some of your goods if you get conked out."

"I see." Alexa eyed the rungs of the pillar. "So…I guess I should head up, huh?"

"Well, that's the other thing…" Tiny started. "Waystones have a useful—if not a bit nasty—habit of showing up right before a really tough enemy. That is to say, you'll be facing the mam pigeon at the top of this pillar. 'Course, you could always save up there and then climb back down for more training."

_No way. _Alexa shivered. With her fear of heights, climbing up the ladder was a challenge in itself. The fact that she couldn't see the top of the pillar was disconcerting enough. Climbing back down was out of question. If she wanted to restore her health, she would have to face the Queen Pigeon immediately after.

"Let's go," she determined. She clasped her hands firmly onto the rungs. "I'll heal, and then take her on."

"You sure?" Tiny asked, clambering up onto his perch on her shoulder. "I'm no expert, but I'd say you could use a wee bit more leveling if you want to stand a chance. You might not be strong enough as is."

"That's bogue," Alexa scoffed. "I feel _plenty _strong. And didn't you say we're in a hurry?"

"That I did," Tiny nodded. "Ta, alright then. Lead the way, lickety-Lex." Taking a breath, Alexa slowly began to make her way up the rungs. Her hands trembled, and she didn't dare looking beyond the next rung. She was so tense that she nearly missed the outcropping with the stone.

"Hold it, lickety-Lex!" Tiny interrupted her climb. "The stone's right there, en' it?"

"R-right," Alexa muttered, swaying slightly as she glanced to the side. She dropped from the rungs onto the outcropping. In front of her, the stone pulsed with a mellow blue glow. She hesitantly put her fingers on it, wincing as it flashed in response. It felt like she'd touched a thousand glims at once, as strength slowly began to return into her form. She pulled away when it returned to its normal color. Alexa sighed in relief, the exhaustion completely gone from her previously aching limbs.

"You _sure _you don't want to train more?" Tiny quipped, taking a glance below them.

"Positive," Alexa replied firmly, straightening up. There was no way she would make this climb twice. Still, as she refastened herself against the rungs and began a steady climb to the top, she felt a twinge of regret in her chest.

_I'm totally strong enough for my first real battle…right? _Her nerves began to creep up as well, and she willed herself not to think of the security of the outcropping, or the comforting warmth of the waystone. She came here with a job to exterminate the pigeon for King Hickory, so she could get her Guide Stone and locate a friend of her father's. When she grabbed the last set of rungs and hoisted herself up, she paused for a moment. There was no platform in front of her; just empty space.

"What's up with-" she started, but her musings were interrupted when something flew up from behind her, causing her to tumble forward off the rungs. She shrieked as she fell through the air, before landing on something soft.

"C-crikey! This is flippin' huge!" she heard Tiny's voice from her shoulder exclaim. Alexa blinked open her eyes in confusion at the short drop, and inhaled sharply. Stretched in front was a flat, circular platform littered with straw and garbage from Ring Rong Rell. In the center of the platform were what appeared to be the remnants of huge eggshells. Alexa realized she wasn't in Ring Rong Rell at all; rather, she was sitting in a gigantic bird nest, built into the balcony of the tower.

"W-wait a sec," Alexa muttered, swallowing roughly. "If this is a nest, than that thing behind me-" An ear-piercing croon interrupted her words. A huge gust of wind from above flattened Alexa and Tiny against the nest. Alexa just managed to look up at the gigantic looming shadow above her, steadily lowering itself. With a loud thump, the oversized bird landed in the nest across from Alexa. Some of the downy feathers on its wings appeared to have been burned off.

"Ther' she is," Tiny muttered. "The ol' rotter herself. That's the mam Pigeon all right." Alexa shakily stood up, eyes widening at the sight before her. Up close, she could see just how big the bird really was. It was only a bit smaller than her house with its wings drawn at its sides. The pigeon quirked its head sideways, examining Alexa. Alexa pulled out her wand, her hand shaking so badly she thought she might drop it. The pigeon, as though understanding the wand was a weapon, prepared itself to lunge.

"A real fight, eh…I'm so flippin' scared _and_ so flippin' excited!" Tiny added in, before Alexa's first official battle began.

-Boss: Queen Pigeon-

Not waiting for her first move, the pigeon lunged straight at her. With a shriek, Alexa ran out of the way. Tiny barely managed to cling to her shoulder.

"C-crikey, she's not gonna wait for us, lickety-Lex!" Tiny gasped. "Go on, get on the offensive!"

"I'm trying!" Alexa huffed, turning to face the pigeon managing to cast a Fireball spell. The flame burst on one of the pigeon's wings, but by the looks of it, the damage was minimal.

"That hardly did anything," Alexa muttered through clenched teeth. "Seriously, dad made these fights sound so much easier in his stupid stories…"

"No time for nostalgia, lickety-Lex, _move it_!" Tiny commanded, just as the pigeon lunged once more. But his warning came a bit late, and Alexa was knocked sideways.

"Ow…" she winced, feeling her previous strength beginning to drop. She didn't want to know how many health points had been lost in that simple hit.

"Look lively, she's not done yet!" Tiny just managed as the pigeon began to flap her huge wings, creating a miniature windstorm.

"T-Tiny!" Alexa called in alarm. "I-I can't move!"

"Blast it," Tiny cursed. "It seems that gust storm knocked the wind out of your legs. That is to say, it paralyzed you. You're gonna have to hold tight until she hits you again."

"A-are you wacked?" Alexa spat. She never realized how much she could say that in a day until she'd arrived in the other world. "I don't want to get-!" But her words were cut off when the bird's beak connected with her form, sending her backward. She slammed against the rim of the nest and fell onto the prickly bedding below.

"I take back what I said earlier," Tiny muttered, sounding just as exhausted even though he wasn't fighting. "You'll do well playing defense in this fight, attacking only when the window of time is presented." Alexa climbed to her feet as the pigeon began flapping again. She quickly shielded herself, just managing to hold her ground and avoid paralysis. Then she yanked out her wand and sent a quick fireball.

"Nice!" Tiny praised. "Just do a couple thousand more of those and she's good as defeated!"

"_Thousand_?" Alexa defended as the bird charged her once more, taking the hit but staying on her feet. "Tiny, that'll take forever!"

"Well, we don't have many other options, d'we?" he retorted. Alexa got in another fireball as she dashed across the nest, managing to get behind the pigeon before she charged. The hit spawned a few glims that Alexa managed to snatch up. This pattern of hitting, running, and defending continued for what felt like hours. Alexa sent out Eve a few times to restore her health, but her magic was running low, and the blue glims weren't keeping up with the frequency of her fireball casting.

"My magic is taking a hit," Alexa muttered to Tiny as she defended another gust of wind.

"I know, I know, g'me a clock tick…" Tiny leaned forward on her shoulder and rummage through her satchel with one of his antenna. "Where is that flippin'…ah!" He produced a thermos of coffee. "Here, lickety-Lex, for your magic! Drink up!" Alexa grabbed the thermos from his antenna, opened it and took a few large gulps. She felt strength returning to the hand holding her wand as she took the last few sips. She finished just in time, as the pigeon rammed into her with its beak. She took damage, but not enough to take out Eve just yet. The spamming of fireballs continued for another long while, and Alexa began to wonder if it was even possible to defeat the great bird. She stopped running to catch her breath, noticing the pigeon had stopped as well. Alexa defended herself for good measure. But instead of charging her, the bird turned its head upwards and took off into the sky. For a hopeful moment, Alexa thought she had defeated it.

"Is that it?" she whispered to Tiny, letting her guard down.

"I don't know…" Tiny admitted. "Lord Drippy is much better at detecting this kind of thing than I am. But still, I have a pretty bad feeling…" Suddenly, a high-pitched croon came from above their heads. Alexa glanced up, to see the pigeon heading straight for her.

"Oh god," she muttered, trying to defend, but she found she could not longer do so.

"You used up your defense…" Tiny told her. For the first time, his voice, usually upbeat and loud, sounded nearly as small as his body. "This may be it for us…"

"Wait, _what_?!" The bird's ominous shape kept getting closer. Alexa thought about running, but the pigeon seemed like it was going to slam into the entire nest. She and Tiny were quickly swallowed by its growing shadow.

"Well, it was a pleasure traveling with you, lickety-Lex," Tiny told her, his voice wavering. "I had a proper great time, you have no idea. You have a fairy's upmost-"

"HOLD STILL!" a boy's voice suddenly yelled from somewhere above her.

"Huh?" Alexa glanced around for the source of it. "Wha-AHHH!" Right as the pigeon was going to crush her, something swung by and swept her off her feet. She opened her eyes against the wind to see she had been swung behind the pigeon and onto the rim of the nest. She was also being carried bridal style by whoever was standing on the rim.

"That's the second time I've saved your guts," the boy's voice, suddenly familiar, informed her smugly. Alexa blinked up at the figure carrying her, and recognized the cheeky grin of the young sky pirate.

"Oh, it's you," she muttered. The boy suddenly coughed.

"By the skies, you smell _disgusting_!" he sputtered. "Clearly you've been…well, _immersing _yourself in Ring Rong Rellian culture." Alexa's face heated up, as her lips twisted into a scowl.

"Put me down!" she demanded hotly, squirming in his grasp.

"I never did catch your name," he told her, ignoring her request by tightening his grip.

"Why should I tell you that?" she retorted. The sky pirate shrugged.

"I'll tell you mine. The name's Kolton, pirate apprentice of the great blue sky." He puffed out his chest with pride at the title. "Anyway, I heard from that old tree you were headed out to Ring Rong Rell to get a Guide Stone, and knew you'd probably get roped in to one of Hickory Dock's jobs." He gestured down to the penguin. "Need any help taking of her? I can finish her off in a few clean swipes if you want."

"No, I don't need _help_," she told him. "Now put me down. I don't want you following me."

"You sure? I think our paths will inevitably cross at some point, considering our missions are basically the same."

"I don't care, just _put me down_." Alexa knew her face was beet red by now. And she had no interest in groveling at the feet of a jerk.

"Fine, fine. If you want to lose all your coins, be my guest. Then again, she looks pretty weak...well, I'll be off. Good luck with the bird!" And before Alexa could react, he held her over the nest and let her go. With a shriek she tumbled back into the soft bedding. She flipped onto her back and glared up at the rim of the nest, but Kolton was gone.

"For flip's sake, lickety-Lex!" Tiny scolded her, popping his head out from his hiding spot in her satchel. "Don't you like free stuff? Pirate boy just offered to help us for no charge!"

"I don't want anyone like _him_ helping me out," Alexa replied hotly. "He's rude, a jerk, arrogant-"

"Can the insults, lickety-Lex, we've got work to do." Tiny pointed to the pigeon, now wobbling unsteadily from it's missed hit. Alexa took the time to hit it with a few fireballs, before it resumed its lunges. Her MP continued to drop until she could no longer cast Fireball. She had no idea how weak (or strong) the pigeon was at this point.

"What should I do?" she whispered harshly to Tiny, taking a hit but managing to hold her ground. Her health points were also beginning to drain, as a few untimely defenses left her to be hit right afterward.

"Don't think you should waste another coffee," Tiny admitted. "We've been fighting this beastie for Ancients know how long, so it's impossible to tell where 'er health stands. A-ah, get ready, she's going to use her Divebomb move on you again." Sure enough, the bird took off into the sky once more. Alexa mentally counted the seconds, and just as the pigeon began her dive she shielded herself. The defense was successful, and she'd deflected the blunt of the attack. But even then, she felt just as weak as before finding the Waystone; if not weaker. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises.

"I-I can't keep doing this, Tiny," she huffed. "Everything…really hurts…"

"You have to try!" he encouraged. "C'mon, just a few more…O-oi!" He sat up excitedly from his perch. "There! Lickety-Lex, see that?!" As the pigeon stumbled around dizzily, a large, pulsing golden light floated nearby.

"W-what is that?" Alexa questioned aloud.

"Get it!" Tiny demanded. "Ask questions later, just _grab that glim_!" Alexa weakly sprinted over to it, stretching out her hand and touching it just as it was about to hover back up to the sky. A warm, powerful surge of heat pulsed through her, just like how it felt touching the waystone. The soreness in her muscles vanished, as did her wounds. The hand holding her wand began to tingle, as though she'd touched a stinging nettle.

"A golden glim," Tiny muttered. "This outta be interesting…"

"W-wait, what's going on…?" Alex asked, when suddenly, everything around her became dim. The wand in her hand glowed bright silver, as material from the nest-straw, trash, and fragments of eggshell-were pulled to it. The materials folded into a silky dark twister at the tip of her wand. Alexa became scared and nearly dropped her wand at the sight of her creation. But then a single word entered her mind that she felt an impulse to say.

"_Tenebrosity_." On beat, a silvery twister of darkness and debris left her wand. It obliterated everything in its path, uprooting trash and straw, before slamming directly into the pigeon's breast. A small blue glim came from it, which Alexa snatched up and used to catch a final fireball spell. She watched as the pigeon stumbled back a few moments, swaying on its feet, before it gave a shaky croon and collapsed onto its side.

"Flipping heck…" Tiny muttered, before leaping from her shoulder and landing on the nest. He whirled to face her, beaming. "That was flippin' _awesome_!

"Should I cast another Fireball?" she huffed, still looking ahead and waiting for the pigeon to get up again.

"No need, she's out like a light!" Tiny did a miniature victory dance. "The mam pigeon's been exterminated! Amazing, lickety-Lex! _You did it!"_


	11. A Final Request (Heart of Humility)

"I…did it?" Alexa stared incredulously at the fallen pigeon. The bird glowed for a moment, before it began to steadily decrease in size. Coins and glims scattered from the light. Alexa ran over and collected them, slipping the coins into her satchel.

"So many coins for one boss? Flippin'heck, we'll be rich by the end of this questy!" Tiny gushed.

"Tiny, look!" Alexa pointed in confusion at where the pigeon was. In its place was an ordinary-sized pigeon. The bird quirked it's head at Alexa and Tiny, before flying off.

"Was that her?" Alexa wondered.

"Apparently so," Tiny muttered. "Proper weird, it is. It appears as though the mam pigeon was under some kind of spell…" He shook his head. "Anyways, I suppose we should head back down and report our success to kingface. See that glowing ring of light?" Alexa glanced over to where the pigeon had been in the center of the nest. A small circle of blue light had appeared in its place. "That'll take us back to the ground. Go on, then. No use lingering 'round here." Alexa nodded, adjusting the sack on her shoulder. She hesitantly approached the light, noticing a large grey feather sticking up from the nest.

"I'll take this as evidence," she said. "So King Hickory knows I defeated her."

"Good thinking, lickety-Lex. Crikey, can you imagine what the look on his face will be when we report our success? He may just give us a whole ton of Guide Stones, and then some!" Alexa nodded absent-mindedly. Although she was no longer physically weak, she was mentally exhausted.

The moment Alexa stepped within the magic circle, her vision was obscured by blue. A familiar, heavy stench of mildew and rot filled her nose, and when the light cleared, she was standing outside the palace. Pip was waiting by the door expectantly.

"O-oh! You're back!" he squeaked, readjusting his glasses. "How did it go?!"

"She won't be bothering you for a while," Alexa replied, holding up the feather. Pip stared for a moment, then grinned.

"Brilliant! I knew you were the Savior Oliver's child for a reason! King Hickory will be very pleased." With a shove of his tiny paws, he pushed open the palace door. Alexa noticed the palace had other mice in it this time; mice in fancy robes, presumably administration to the king.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go on in!" Alexa and Tiny exchanged a glance before following behind Pip into the palace. On the throne, King Hickory's ears perked up and he flipped into a sitting position, squinting down at the visitors.

"Took you long enough, squeakling," he snorted. Alexa got into a bow, ignoring his insult.

"I've exterminated the queen pigeon, just as you asked," she reported. Pip took the feather from her and carried it over for his king to see. King Hickory's eyes widened.

"…it's true!" he determined after a moment. "This young wizard has rid us of the queen pigeon!" The mice in the palace cheered with squeaks of approval. They stared at Alexa in wonder. She sunk further into her bow and blushed slightly, not used to so much attention.

"I suppose you earned your payment." King Hickory rummaged through a pile of goods stacked beside his throne and pulled out a small, smooth stone. He tossed it to her. She stood up just in time to catch it. The rune on the front was different than on the Warp Stone, and the stone was subtly warm to touch.

_I'm one step further in my quest, _she thought.

_And one step closer to dad._

"Thank you, King Hickory!" Alexa blurted out, grinning.

"Don't leave yet, squeakling," King Hickory told her, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I'd like to have a word with you." Alexa stared in surprise at the king. His potent gaze was unreadable.

"Y-yes, your Mousejesty," she stammered, her temporary joy vanishing. He glanced at the other mice in the palace. "All of you: leave. I wish to talk with the wizard in privacy." The robbed mice dipped their heads and scurried through the palace door, muttering amongst themselves on the way out.

"You, too, pipsqueak," King Hickory gestured for Pip to follow.

"Of course, your Mousejesty." He bowed before following the other mice.

"And you, fairy." Tiny looked up in surprise.

"Aw, c'mon, your kinglyness!" he protested. "Lickety-Lex and I are close as Purrloiners are to their swords! Don't separate us now!"

"Quiet. What I am about to say is for the girl's ears only. Now be off, or I'll have you forcibly removed."

"Ah, fine, fine, mun." Tiny begrudgingly hopped off her shoulder. "But if he tries anything like stealing the Guide Stone, call for me, alright, lickety-Lex?" Tiny told her before following after Pip. Alexa swallowed nervously as the king jumped off his throne and landed in front of her, scepter in hand.

"First and foremost, well done." Alexa was surprised by the tone of his voice. It was still blunt, but there was a hint of pride in it. "I'm sure killing that pest off wasn't easy. In fact, I'm quite impressed with your work, young wizard Alexa."

"T-thanks, your Mousejesty," Alexa replied awkwardly.

"However," he leaned in closer. "That was only one of them. There are still the other two left, and while they're not females, they still cause trouble." Alexa tensed. For a worried moment, she thought the king was going to demand she exterminate the other two before she can keep her Guide Stone.

"You've earned your payment, so I know I can no longer bribe you with objects. Which is why I have an offer for you." He gave her an out-of-character, toothy grin. "I propose you become Ring Rong Rell's royal pigeon exterminator!"

"R-royal exterminator?" Alexa echoed with an unsure smile. The king nodded enthusiastically.

"You'll be treated like the highest of princesses, of course, second only to me. You can have a nest of the softest sawdust, a set of royal robes, all the cheese you can eat…"

_Are you wacked? _Alexa thought, but she didn't dare say it aloud now that he held her in such high regard.

"T-thanks for the offer, your Mousejesty. It sounds very…nice," Alexa replied sheepishly. "But…but I'm on a mission. That's why I need the Guide Stone in the first place. I have to get to Al Mamoon as soon as possible."

"Of course," the king sighed, as though expecting the answer. "You've got a job to do, and as a human you wouldn't be happy here. No harm offering it, though. And you know what?" He looked up at the palace walls. "Sometimes I question my own happiness."

"Huh?" Alexa inquired. The king gave another sigh.

"Alright, squeakling, I'm going to tell you something. This is just between you and me, so if you spill it to anyone I'll force you to be my rotten cheese discarder…" he leaned in, lowering his voice to a nasally whisper. "I miss my well."

"Your what?" Alexa asked, before her eyes widened in realization.

_Ding Dong Well! That's where dad told me he fought King Hickory!_

"I'm not gonna repeat it," he snorted. "When that tomfool left, it was great to take over his shoddy kingdom. But then the birds showed up, and I began to become…" His ears drooped. "Em…homesick, I suppose." Alexa stared at the giant mouse. The formally proud king looked saddened, even pitiful.

"You could return to your well?" she suggested. He quickly shook his head.

"That's a stupid suggestion. The birds will find us, and if we're in the well they'll be able to trap us. Unless we can somehow get rid of the birds, I can't return to the well." Alexa looked down awkwardly. Her dad would probably come up with a solution, at this point, but she wasn't her dad. Slaying a giant pigeon was enough problem solving for one day.

"Well, squeakling, I've got one final request for you before you head off on your way," King Hickory determined after a moment. "I've given this much thought in your absence, and I think I can allow it…for the sake of my comfort, of course." He took a step closer to her. "As long as you are within this kingdom, you are one of my subjects. So what I'm about to tell you is an order. While you're out adventuring and whatnot, I have one demand of you as a part-time citizen of Ring Rong Rell." King Hickory leaned in close, so his snout was mere inches from her ear and his voice was lowered to quietest of whispers.

"Bring the fat cat back."


End file.
